IRS Scams Cause More Tax Trouble

It is bad enough when your own mistakes or omissions get you into tax trouble or cost you in back taxes.  It can push many people over the edge when the problems arise from scams that seem like IRS dealings but are just bad guys taking advantage of scared and desperate people.  Always be cautious when receiving email or snail mail that you do not recognize.

Recognizing Tax Scams

1.    The IRS DOES NOT contact tax payers through the internet.  Any time that you receive an unsolicited email from the IRS about tax trouble or back taxes that you might have then you should ignore any links in that email and contact the IRS directly through their own website www.irs.gov or by phone.  2.    The IRS DOES NOT ask for pin numbers, passwords or other information in regards to your credit cards or bank accounts.  Anyone requesting this type of personal information is looking to get you into more financial trouble by taking what you have and is not trying to help you get out of tax debt.3.    The IRS DOES NOT request your social security number.  It already has your social security number.  It will also not be asking for any of the other information that you include on your tax return.4.    The IRS DOES NOT charge shipping fees and other fees to help tax payers get refunds or deal with tax debt.

There will be times that the IRS will need to contact you because of problems with your tax return, potential back taxes or possibly even an audit.  Any correspondence from the IRS will likely be in the form of the United States Post Office.  Even with this correspondence remember to hold back your personal information.  The IRS already has all the information on you that they need.  If you are still uncomfortable about the correspondence then contact the IRS directly through their website or with the phone number provided on the website.