IRS Warns of Tax Scams

IRS Warns of Tax Scams in 2014.

The IRS is warning Americans of tax scams. This year identity theft and phone scams top the agency's "Dirty Dozen" list of worst schemes taxpayers could encounter.

In a news release, the IRS announced Americans could see these scams at any point in the year, but many of the schemes peak during tax season.

"Scams can be sophisticated and take many different forms. We urge people to protect themselves and use caution when viewing emails, receiving phone calls or getting advice on tax issues," IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said in a news release.

Below are the top three scams taxpayers should be on the lookout this year. IRS Warns of Tax Scams!

Identity Theft

The IRS said tax fraud through identity theft tops this year's list. Fraudsters like to get taxpayers Social Security Number and other bits of information. They then use it to fraudulently file a tax return and claim the refund.

The IRS suggests taxpayers be alert to possible identity theft if they receive an IRS notice that states:

• More than one tax return for you was filed.
• You have a balance due, refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return.
• IRS records indicated you received wages from an employer unknown to you.

If you believe you were a victim of identity theft the IRS suggests you notify the agency as soon as possible.

Telephone Scams

The IRS said it has seen an increase in local phone scams across the United States. Callers pretned to be from the IRS. The goal is to steal money or identities from victims.

According to the IRS, these scams come in many variations. Some callers will say the victim owes money or is entitled to a larg refund. Others might threaten arrest or driver's license revocation.

Common characteristics of these scams include:

• Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers.
• Callers might be able to recite the last four digits of a victims Social Security Number.
• Con artists may imitate the IRS toll-free number to make it seems like it's the IRS calling.
• Scammers sometimes send falsified IRS emails to victims to support their bogus calls.

False Promises of "Free Money"

It is common for scam artists to pose as tax preparers during tax season. The IRS said scammers lure victims in by promising large federal tax refunds. They use flyers, phony store fronts and word of mouth to attract as many victims as possible. The IRS said these scammers prey on people who do have a filing requirement like low-income individuals and the elderly.

For more information on these scams and several others visit IRS.gov.

Find out when your Income Tax Return will arrive on our 2014 IRS E-File Cycle Chart.

Discuss this on the Income Tax Forums.

IRS already cut billions in tax refund checks

Millions of taxpayers have already received big refund checks, as the 2014 tax filing season seems to be humming along without a hitch. IRS issuing many refund checks already.

The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it issued $64.5 billion in refunds to 19.5 million taxpayers as of Feb. 7, a total dollar amount that was up 24% from the same time last year. The average refund check issued this year, $3,317, is also 4.6% larger than last year.

It’s not too surprising that this filing season is running more smoothly than last year, when the IRS lagged the previous year’s pace for issuing refunds throughout most of the filing season. The agency had to put off accepting certain tax forms until as late as March because it was updating its systems following the tax-code revamps caused by the fiscal-cliff legislation.

But taxpayers are also submitting their returns more quickly. The IRS received more than 27 million returns as of Feb. 7, up 2.5% from the same time in 2013. Nearly 96% of those were filed electronically. Samuel Hale, 21, a college student near Fort Worth, Texas, says his refund was deposited into his checking account Friday morning, a week after he filed his return electronically using online software. “I was very surprised,” says Hale, who couldn’t file his return until April last year because of a missing W-2 form.

In an interesting shift, the data shows more taxpayers are doing their own returns so far this tax season. Roughly half of the returns submitted, or 13.3 million, were self prepared, up 14.7% from last year. Typically, about 60% of returns are handled by a tax pro, according to IRS data.

Of course, not all taxpayers have been able to file their returns yet. Some people are still waiting on paperwork from their brokers, employers or colleges that they need to report all income and claim certain tax breaks. And some people aren’t eager to file their returns. Taxpayers who need to cut a check to the IRS generally wait until closer to April 15 to file.

Taxpayers can track their refunds using the  “Where’s My Refund?” tool starting 24 hours after filing electronically, or four weeks after mailing in a return. About 90% of refunds are issued within 21 days, though some may be delayed if there is an issue with the return.

Discuss this and more on the Income Tax Forums.

IRS update their Where's My Refund tool

I.R.S. have finally updated their Where's My Refund tool. They will be unloading millions of dollars over the next few days to taxpayers.

We have received news that the I.R.S. updated their Where's My Refund webpage last night at 12 A.M.. Thousands of people have their Direct Deposit date sets to "on or before February 6th, 2014". This means that the February 5th payout date is still correct. They will send the funds to the bank on Monday and the funds will be set to be direct deposited on Wednesday February 5th 2014. This will give your bank time to handle the huge load of all of the transfer they receive of millions of dollars over a day period.

Please check the I.R.S. Where's My Refund webpage and then be watching your bank account for the direct deposit. We strive to keep our schedule as accurate as possible and hope that you have enjoyed reading.

We are compiling a list of refund dates for 2014, so please visit this post and comment when you were accepted versus when you actually received your refund. Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, tell your friends about us.

Thank you.