Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts
IRS YouTube Videos
Dirty Dozen: English | Spanish | ASL
Tax Scams: English | Spanish | ASL
Tax Scams
Don't fall victim to tax scams. Remember — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you know of a tax fraud, you can report it to the IRS by sending completed Form 3949-A, Information Referral, to Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA 93888. You can download the form or call 1-800-829-3676 to order by mail.
Some of the recent scams the IRS has seen include:
-
IR-2011-73, IRS Urges Taxpayers to Avoid Becoming Victims of Tax Scams
-
IR-2011-39, Don’t Fall Prey to the 2011 Dirty Dozen Tax Scams
Education is the best way to avoid the pitfalls of these “too good to be true” tax scams. For more information, see:
- Tax Scams — How to Recognize and Avoid Them
- Criminal Investigation's Tax Fraud Alerts
Phony Arguments
No matter how some things are sliced, they're still baloney. If someone tells you that you don't have to pay taxes, check out The Truth About Frivolous Tax Arguments. This IRS.gov exclusive addresses some of the more common false "legal" arguments made by those opposed to compliance with the federal tax laws. Each contention is briefly explained, followed by a discussion of the legal authority that rejects the contention. The second section deals with frivolous arguments encountered in collection due process cases. The final section illustrates penalties imposed on those pursuing frivolous cases.
IR-2011-23, IRS Debunks Frivolous Tax Arguments, highlights the issue and possible penalties.
IR-2004-41 describes the increasingly strong penalties the courts have imposed from March 2003 to March 2004 on taxpayers who pursued frivolous cases to delay IRS collection actions.
IR-2003-28 details penalties the Tax Court imposed from April 2001 until early March 2003 for making frivolous Collection Due Process arguments.
Identity Theft Scams
The IRS has issued several consumer warnings about the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scamsters trying to gain access to consumers’ financial information in order to steal their identity and assets. Scamsters will use the regular mail, telephone, fax or email to set up their victims. When identity theft takes place over the Internet (email), it is called phishing.
The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through email. Unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS, or from an IRS-related component such as EFTPS, should be reported to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
Additionally, clicking on attachments to or links within an unsolicited email claiming to come from the IRS may download a malicous computer virus onto your computer.
Learn more about identity theft.
Learn how to protect your personal information.
You may also report instances of IRS-related phishing attempts and fraud to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.
