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Don't Let Anyone Phish for Your Funds
One of the biggest tax scams to watch out for this next tax year is a technique called "phishing." A form of identity theft, phishing is car- ried out by con artists who use the Internet to get unsuspecting citizens to give out their financial information by posing as the IRS.
If you receive an e-mail that appears to be from the IRS, beware! The IRS will never contact you by e-mail about your tax account. The phishing e-mail will typically announce that you have a refund you have not yet claimed and will tell you to click on a link to a website that looks very official. Once at the website, you will be asked for your social security number and a credit card number.
Another version of phishing will tell you are under audit by the IRS and if you provide certain personal financial information, the matter may be resolved. Your information will then be used to access your accounts and credit cards or used to apply for loans.
Remember: The IRS will never contact you by e-mail about your tax returns. If you have questions about the authenticity of a contact you receive, call (800) 829-1040 to inquire about it.
Tax-Time Tips
If you want to avoid the last-minute stress that you start feeling about the beginning of April, here are some suggestions:
Fill out your tax forms early. That may sound obvious, but many tax deductions are overlooked and many errors are made by people who leave their tax returns until the last minute.
Spend some time browsing www .irs .gov. There is a wealth of infor- mation provided by the IRS, but you need to devote a little time to looking through it. You may find tax deductions you didn't know you could take, or, most importantly, updates to the tax laws that will affect your return.
April or Not—It's Always Tax Time 81