Knowledge is protection when the IRS is involved. I'm Darrin Mish, a tax attorney in Tampa with 32 years of experience representing taxpayers nationwide. Here's what I want you to understand.<\/p>\n
The IRS has released its \u2018Dirty Dozen\u2019 tax scams to reveal how taxpayers try to cheat the system. \u00a0IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman didn\u2019t mince his words when he said, \u201cDon’t fall prey to these tax scams. \u00a0They may look tempting, but these fraudulent deals end up hurting people who participate in them.\u201d Knowledge is protection when the IRS is involved. I'm Darrin Mish, a tax attorney in Tampa with 32 years of experience representing taxpayers nationwide. Here's what I want you to understand. The IRS has released its \u2018Dirty Dozen\u2019 tax scams to reveal how taxpayers try to cheat the system. \u00a0IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman didn\u2019t mince […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[593],"class_list":["post-21971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-irs-help","tag-tax-identity-theft"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21971"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21976,"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21971\/revisions\/21976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHere are the \u2018Dirty Dozen\u2019. \u00a0Click here to read or watch more IRS Help resources.<\/a>
\n1. \u00a0Not declaring offshore assets
\nWith the publicity surrounding UBS Bank of Switzerland assisting wealthy Americans to hide their assets in offshore bank accounts, most people know about this tactic. \u00a0But it\u2019s not only bank accounts the IRS is targeting, it\u2019s also brokerage accounts, credit cards and offshore insurance plans. \u00a0Right now, there is an ongoing voluntary disclosure period where you can step forward to submit your offshore earnings (past and present) for tax computation with a reduced penalty and without being charged in court. \u00a0This amnesty period ends in August.
\n2. \u00a0Phishing scams
\nIdentity theft through phishing scams has been a common tax scam method for a long time.<\/a> \u00a0In this type of scam, criminals get your personal information like Social Security number, bank account details etc through emails, phone calls or social media and assume your identity in order to steal your tax refund.
\nIf you receive an email that claims itself to be from the IRS, do not open any attachment or click any link in it. \u00a0Instead, forward it to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. \u00a0If you believe you have been a victim of identity theft, call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490.
\n3. \u00a0Illicit tax preparation
\nThis type of scam is where a tax preparer takes advantage of you by employing certain tactics like siphoning a part of your tax refund, overcharging you or promising to get more refunds than you are entitled to. \u00a0To combat this practice, the IRS has begun taking regulatory steps that make it compulsory for all tax preparers to register themselves and be given a Personal Tax Identification Number.
\nTax preparers are also required to constantly keep abreast with developments in tax laws through a continuous education program and periodic competency tests.
\n4. \u00a0Fraudulent tax returns
\nMany taxpayers file fraudulent returns to try to claim tax benefits or obtain a bigger refund amount. \u00a0They give false information, claim fictitious withholding credits etc. \u00a0The IRS will not hesitate to take action against you if you are caught doing any of these.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"