Avoid Tax Scams
Tax refund season can be a busy one for criminals intent on separating you from your money. You may have gotten a call from someone falsely claiming to represent the IRS. Don’t fall for it! The IRS provides very specific guidelines for how they do, and do not, communicate with taxpayers.
The IRS does NOT:
- Call to demand immediate payment.
- Require payment methods such as debit cards, gift cards or wire transfers.
- Demand you pay taxes without the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Threaten to bring in local police, immigration officers or other law-enforcement to arrest you for not paying.
- Threaten to revoke your driver’s license, business licenses or immigration status.
An IRS agent may call to set up appointments or to discuss items with taxpayers, but they will always have first attempted communication through the U.S. Postal Service. If an IRS representative visits you, he or she will always provide two forms of official credentials.
If you do owe taxes, the IRS will instruct taxpayers to make their payments out to the United States Treasury.
To learn more about protecting yourself from tax scams, visit irs.gov.