Using a Tax Shelter? IRS Says Beware

People look for many different ways to save on taxes, or even to avoid paying some of the taxes they really do owe. However, despite taxpayers’ best efforts, the IRS is always on the prowl and if you’re using unscrupulous means to avoid paying taxes there is a good chance you will get caught, including employing what the IRS calls “abusive tax shelters and structures.”

According to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen taxpayers should stay away from anyone who promotes or sells phony tax shelters whose only purpose is to avoid paying taxes that are owed. These schemes can end up costing taxpayers much more in penalties, interest and back taxes, said Koskinen.

Koskinen added that these types of schemes “have evolved from simple structuring of abusive domestic and foreign trust arrangements into sophisticated strategies that take advantage of the financial secrecy laws of some foreign jurisdictions and the availability of credit/debit cards issued from offshore financial institutions.”

If you want to save on taxes legally your best bet is to work with a highly capable accounting and tax firm, like GROCO, which knows how to utilize every legal tax measure available in order to get you the best refund possible. Give us a call or contact us online and make sure you avoid the perils of getting involved with the wrong kind of “tax help.”