Tax season is a prime chance for fraudsters to make their move. Learn how to recognize some key strategies to watch out for.
Tax season is rife with opportunists who use a multitude of nefarious tactics to get you to part with your money. Increasingly sophisticated, even the savviest tax filer might have trouble discerning a real IRS request from a fake one. Here are five ways to protect yourself this tax season.
1. Get your IRS online account set up
The No. 1 thing you can do to protect yourself is to sign up for an online IRS account. Your account will give you the clearest picture of balances owed, payment plans, tax records, past tax years, authorizations from your accountant or tax preparer, any additional taxes on qualified plans or other tax-favored accounts, shared responsibility payments, and trust fund recovery penalties. You’ll be required to go through an extensive process to verify your identity and create an Identity Protection PIN through the IRS secure site – an additional layer of protection for you against tax fraud and identity theft.
Tip: irs.gov is the official website for the IRS. If you get a communication from irs.com, irs.net, irs.org or any other website, you’ll know immediately it is not a legitimate request.
2. Don’t answer
The IRS will never initiate contact with you through phone calls, texts, social media, direct messages or emails. It always contacts you by letter first if you owe money. The…
