Hello? Is This Really the IRS, or Just a Scam?
No one enjoys getting a call from the IRS, but getting a call from someone who claims to be from the IRS, but who is really just a scammer, is even worse. However, according to the country’s top tax agency, that is exactly the kind of sophisticated and elaborate scam that has been going on lately.
The IRS says that the scam has occurred all over the country and has even taken aim at recent immigrants. According to the IRS, the scammers use fake names and IRS ID numbers. The scammers also apparently already have detailed information about the people they call and they are also able to alter their caller ID number so it appears to be coming from the tax agency.
The con artists then claim that the taxpayer owes money to the IRS and demand prompt payment for the debt. They also threaten jail time, license suspension or even deportation in some cases. The IRS absolutely does not use these kinds of tactics.
According to the IRS website it will never do the following things when it calls:
- Demand immediate payment. In fact, the IRS won’t even call you about taxes owed until mailing you first.
- Demand that you pay taxes without letting you question or appeal the amount you reportedly owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method, like a prepaid debit card, for your taxes.
- Ask for debit or credit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten to have you arrested by any law-enforcement groups for not paying your debt.
You can learn more about this and other tax-related scams by visiting the IRS consumer alerts page. You can also contact us at GROCO by clicking here.
Why Are Your Property Taxes So Darn High?
While the majority of people pay the most attention to the taxes they see regularly, i.e. income and sales tax, there are other taxes that cost you a lot of money that you may tend to forget about. One of those taxes that cost a lot, but that kind of goes unnoticed is property tax.…
IRS Is a Lot More Open to Compromise These Days
It used to be that if you owed a large debt to the IRS you didn’t have a great chance of catching a break. Even though the IRS has always been able to compromise, at least a little, the tax agency has never been really eager to do so. Some people might not even be…
Could Buying a Rental Home Really Help Pay for College?
It’s back to school and for many that means school supplies and new clothes, but what about kids who are heading off to college? Their expenses are much greater than a few new outfits, pencils, paper and glue sticks. Besides the cost of tuition, most college students have to deal with the added expenses of…
Could You Lose Health Care if You Don’t File a Tax Return?
There’s been no shortage of confusion since the Affordable Healthcare Act became a law. Likewise, there has been no shortage of discontent with the bill, either. Obamacare, as it is widely known, continues to find ways to leave people in the dark not only about their healthcare, but also about their taxes. So what’s the…