Taxpayers, Watch Out for Tax Scams This Time of the Year

The IRS want us taxpayers to be on high alert for tax scams from criminals pretending to be the IRS. Officials in Washington remind us to beware of phone calls and emails from individuals claiming to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in an effort to scam you out of your money.

Each tax season, new tax scams pop up taking different forms but recently, the most common scams are phone calls and emails from thieves pretending to be from the IRS.

Here are several tips the Internal Revenue Service:

1) The IRS will NEVER initiate contact with you by phone, email, text or social media and then ask for your personal or financial information.

2) The IRS will NEVER call you and demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call about taxes you owe without first mailing you a bill.

3) The IRS will NOT require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For example, telling you to pay with a prepaid debit card.

If you get a phone call about your taxes and the caller is aggressive or relentless, you're likely being preyed upon by a criminal. If you're close to a senior citizen, make them aware that they are a target.

Remember, the tax deadline on Monday, April 18, 2016 and if you just can get your taxes filed by then, at least apply for the 6 month extension, and remember, never give out any personal information over the phone!

If you think you're the victim of a scam, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 and IRS employees will be able to help you.

If you're a hardworking American like me, take the extra patriotic step and pass this blog along to friends and family to completely eliminate tax scams.

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[irs.gov]