The IRS is warning of a new Internet tax scam meant to redirect refunds owed to those who use the Free File Alliance electronic tax filing system.
As detailed in the Monroe Sunday News, Web sites masquerading as Free File Alliance members accept tax information from taxpayers, change the taxpayers’ bank account numbers to their own and then file the return through a legitimate Free File partner. The returns are then sent to the scammers.
Taxpayers can avoid this problem by using the official Free File site on IRS.gov.
“The final days of the tax season always bring tax scams,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “Make sure you’re really dealing with the IRS. Taxpayers can feel safe using Free File, but the only way to do it is through the secure IRS.gov Web site.”
To qualify for Free File, taxpayers need to have an adjusted gross income of $52,000 or less. Ninety-five million out of the 136 million taxpayers meet this qualification.
The only way to access this program is through the IRS’s Web site, IRS.gov. Click “2007 Free File” on the home page. Then, click “Start Now.” Taxpayers can use the “Guide Me to a Company!” wizard to help decide which software to choose using criteria such as the state they live in, their estimated AGI and their age.
Taxpayers have through Tuesday to file their tax returns this year.
[...] Still another tax scam By Charles Slat “The final days of the tax season always bring tax scams,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “Make sure you’re really dealing with the IRS. Taxpayers can feel safe using Free File, but the only way to do it is through the secure … [...]