How to Avoid Tax Preparation Scams

With so much to do and so many other important things to worry about, many people will be looking for help over the coming weeks and months with their income tax returns. While some people might just choose the first name they see to file their taxes, whom you choose can actually make a big difference.

Not only can your tax preparer play a big role in how much money you get back, but also there are some preparers that are simply looking to scam you. With nearly 60 percent of all tax returns being done by paid tax professionals, that means there is a lot of risk to taxpayers if they don’t choose wisely.

Fraudulent tax preparers use many different kinds of scams to cheat people out of money. These scams vary, with some preparers filing false returns in order to collect more money and others being outright scams, wherein the preparer files unauthorized returns and then takes most or all of the refund. The real problem for you the taxpayer is that if the IRS catches these fraudulent returns, you will be held liable even if you weren’t aware of your tax preparer’s actions.

So what should you do to avoid these scams? These are just a few ideas to keep in mind:

  • Stay away from preparers asking for a percentage of your refund as their fee.
  • Make sure you always look at the fine print and don’t sign a blank return.
  • Never hand over financial info to a preparer unless you’ve chosen him/her to prepare your return.
  • Make sure the preparer has signed the return and has included his/her IRS Tax Preparer Identification Number (PTIN).
  • Don’t trust a preparer who doesn’t ask a lot of questions.
  • Check out what the IRS says about choosing a tax professional.

Don’t get scammed by a shady tax preparer, make sure you do your homework first. Of course, you can always trust GROCO to give you honest and timely service. Our goal is to help you pay as little in taxes as legally possible. Contact us today at 1-877-CPA-2006.

/GROCO
Posted in

Top Tips to Remember When You Can’t Pay Business Taxes

Business taxes can be a nightmare for a lot of companies; especially small businesses that are trying to stay afloat. Things can get even tougher when it comes time to file your return and you end up on the wrong side of the ledger. So what should you do if you end up owing more…

First Half of Current Fiscal Year a Record-Breaker for U.S. Treasury

It’s been another record year for the federal government so far, which is in the midst of its current fiscal year. At the end of March, when the government reached its halfway point of the 2016 fiscal year, it had already collected $1.48 trillion. One might think that this massive haul would help ease the…

Why Is Almost Half the Country Paying no Federal Income Tax?

One of the biggest tax debates that will likely always exist is whether or not the nation’s wealthy are paying enough in taxes? It’s easy for some to argue that they don’t but there are many factors that must be considered. Plus, all the while, nearly half of the country’s would-be taxpayers don’t actually pay…

Where Is Your Paycheck Going?

While many of the nation’s high net-worth individuals make much of their income through capital gains, those who still collect a paycheck are doling out of cash to the IRS every time they get paid. The same is true for all taxpayers no matter what income level they fall in. In fact, according to a…