The season for filing 2022 taxes begins on Jan. 24, and while some Texas residents are planning on submitting their own returns, others are reaching out to reputable tax preparers for assistance. With roughly three months remaining until the filing deadline of Apr. 18 for general tax returns, Better Business Bureau reminds residents to be wary of con artists and unethical businesses who claim to specialize in tax preparation.
The IRS continues to aggressively prosecute instances of criminal tax fraud across the nation, with $5.7 billion in tax fraud identified in 2022. The IRS’s Criminal Investigation’s 2022 Annual Report highlights multiple instances of tax fraud in Texas, including a former mayor of Richardson, a business owner in Midland, a tax preparer in Houston and a hotel manager in Austin. The Houston tax preparer was sentenced to three years in prison for preparing income tax returns for himself and others that falsely claimed business losses, unreimbursed employee expenses, itemized deductions, and gifts by cash or check.
As consumers gather their tax documents and plan to file their 2022 taxes this year, Better Business Bureau expects an increase in rates of IRS impostor and phishing scams, as well as reports of ghost tax preparers.
IRS IMPOSTOR AND PHISHING SCAMS
Impostor scams remain one of the most common types of fraud…
