40 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • APRIL 11, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
tax guide
Beware of scams in fi nal days of tax season
Ahead of this year’s annual Tax Day on
April 15, Attorney General Letitia James
provided taxpayers with tips to help avoid
fraudulent tax schemes.
Th e Attorney General also urged New
Yorkers to stay vigilant and report any
suspected scams intended to steal personal
and fi nancial information from consumers
to the Attorney General’s Offi ce.
“Tax season is ripe with opportunity for
scammers to prey on hard-working New
Yorkers,” said James. “Th ese bad actors
use a wide range of tactics to illegally
cheat residents out of their money, including
individuals who impersonate the IRS
and businesses that bait-and-switch their
tax preparation services. Armed with the
tips and resources provided by my offi ce,
I urge New Yorkers to remain vigilant
as they prepare to fi le their taxes and
encourage them to notify my offi ce if they
encounter any tax scams.”
Scams that New Yorkers should
be on the lookout for include,
but are not limited to:
• Scammers who impersonate U.S.
Treasury Department, the IRS, the
Taxpayer Advocate Service, or other
government offi cials and call taxpayers
in an attempt to collect phony tax debts;
• Scammers who claim consumers owe
past tax debts and insist that consumers
pay using a prepaid credit card or
gift card;
• Tax preparation businesses that advertise
low fees to get the customer in the
door, then increase the fi nal fee by hundreds
of dollars claiming the tax return
was more complicated than anticipated;
• Taxpayers receiving an unexpectedly
large “tax refund” from the IRS, which
they then must return because it was
stolen from another individual.
In order to help New Yorkers
avoid tax scams, James
off ers the following tips:
• If you owe money, you will receive a
legitimate notice in writing that identifi
es the agency and the reason you owe
money;
• Do not give out personal information,
including your Social Security number,
bank account information, or other payment
information, to telephone callers;
• Legitimate government organizations
will never threaten arrest or deportation
for failure to pay a debt;
• Legitimate government agencies will
never insist that consumers pay a debt
only via a pre-paid credit card, gift card,
or wire transfer.
The following suggestions
will help consumers fi le
their tax returns safely and
keep more of their return:
• Only use established and recognizable
companies for tax-preparation services;
• Check the tax preparer’s qualifi cations
and history through the Better Business
Bureau;
• Ask for a written estimate of all fees.
Avoid those who base their fees on a
percentage of your refund;
• Avoid tax preparers that promise cash
for preparing the return, but in fact
merely off er a discount on infl ated fees;
• Make sure the tax preparer is accessible,
even aft er the April due date;
• Never sign a blank return;
• Review entire return before signing;
• Make sure the preparer signs the tax
form and includes a Preparer Tax
Identifi cation Number (PTIN);
• Consult New York’s “Consumer Bill of
Rights Regarding Tax Preparers.”
In addition to being vigilant consumers,
New Yorkers should report potential
scams to the Offi ce of the Attorney
General by submitting a complaint online
or calling the consumer hotline at 1-800-
771-7755. Scams should also be reported
to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for
Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.
Consumers can avoid the costs of
refund anticipation loans and checks
by filing their return electronically
and having refunds either mailed or
directly deposited into their own bank
account.
Th e Attorney General reminds New
Yorkers that there are Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance (VITA) sites where consumers
can get their tax returns prepared
free of charge.
From the state Attorney General’s offi ce
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