Tax Scams

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During tax filing season, beginning in January, you may notice fliers or yard signs advertising tax preparation assistance and offering to help you get a larger tax refund than other preparers. The problem is that these offers often include filing a falsified tax return that make fraudulent claims about your income, your household size and other personal information that affect your taxes.

The IRS wants you to keep in mind: you, the taxpayer, is ultimately responsible for the information on your tax returns. Taxpayers can face criminals charges and thousands of dollars in fees if you file a fraudulent return.

Common scams:

Tax Preparation Scams

Resources:
Tax Scams flier
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Statistics:

In 2011, the IRS initiated 1,834 investigations into tax fraud, resulting in 864 individuals being sentenced to an average of 29 months of incarceration.
(Source: IRS Statistical Data – Criminal Fraud Investigations, http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/article/0,,id=106791,00.html)