Tax scams and how to fight them

Q: What tax scams should I be watching out for this year? A: Many in the cybersecurity business refer to tax season as “Christmas for Criminals,” because of the amount of sensitive personal information that will be in circulation. The IRS reported a nearly 400 percent surge in phishing and malware incidents in the 2016…

IRS: The disabled should remember the EITC

The IRS wants taxpayers with disabilities and the parents of children with disabilities to be especially aware of whether they qualify for the EITC. People with disabilities are often concerned that a refund will impact their eligibility for one or more public benefits, including Social Security disability benefits, Medicaid and Food Stamps. Refunds, including refunds…

IRS, States and Tax Industry Renew Alert about Form W-2 Scam Targeting Payroll, Human Resource Departments

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the tax industry today renewed their warning about an email scam that uses a corporate officer’s name to request employee Forms W-2 from company payroll or human resources departments. This week, the IRS already has received new notifications that the email scam is making its…

Special Rules Help Many People With Disabilities Qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit; Up to 1.5 Million Fail to Claim Valuable Benefit

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service wants taxpayers with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities to be aware of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and correctly claim it if they qualify. The EITC is a federal income tax credit for workers who don’t earn a high income ($53,505 or less for 2016) and…