1. Phone scams
The IRS says this all the time, but they cant say it enough: They never call taxpayers out of the blue. If you get a call from someone claiming to be an IRS agent on a matter youre not already aware of, theyre scamming you.
2. Phishing
Again, the IRS wont send an e-mail about a bill or refund out of the blue, and almost never requests personal financial information other than through the mail. They ask people who receive suspicious communications to forward them to phishing@irs.gov.
3. ID Theft
While the IRS has made significant strides in fighting ID theft -- including creating a special Identity Protection PIN for victims -- taxpayers need to do most of the heavy lifting themselves, by being vigilant against phishing attacks, monitoring their financial accounts, and otherwise protecting their information. One tip they may not be aware of: Filing their taxes early in tax season may prevent an ID thief from filing in your name or under your Social Security number.
4. Return Preparer Fraud
One common tipoff: promises of outlandishly large refunds.
5. Hiding Money or Income Offshore
6. Inflated Refund Claims
Its important for taxpayers to remember that no matter who prepares their return, they are responsible for it.
7. Fake Charities
These often pop up in the wake of disasters and tragedies, and the IRS recommends checking out a charity of interest with its
8. Filing Fake Documents to Hide Income
9. Abusive Tax Shelters
10. Falsifying Income to Claim Tax Credits
Once again, its important to note that the taxpayer is responsible for whats on their tax return and that the IRS is getting better and better at sniffing this sort of thing out.
11. Excessive Claims for Fuel Tax Credits
Fraud involving the fuel tax credit is considered a frivolous tax claim and can result in a penalty of $5,000, so no matter what a scammer might suggest, its not worth risking on a tax return.
12. Frivolous Tax Arguments
Scammers will often sell books, videos or other material about their frivolous arguments, marketing them as sure-fire ways to lower your tax bill, but the IRS has collected a long list of them that have been completely debunked in court (See the IRSs