Instant Tax Solutions
Instant Tax Solutions Says Tax Scams are Gaining Popularity Among Criminals
Criminals are getting smarter and smarter, according to Instant Tax Solutions. Scams found online recently looked so authentic that they were often difficult to distinguish from actual contact from the Internal Revenue Service. As a taxpayer, it is important to remember that the IRS will never e-mail you unsolicited communication requesting personal information. According to Instant Tax Solutions, scams often come in the form of email and appear to be legitimate since they mimic the IRS’s website very closely. Instant Tax Solutions says that scam should be reported to the IRS by calling 1 – 800 – 829 – 1040. Instant Tax Solutions says scam emails or suspicious correspondence may be forwarded to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
Interviews & News: Thanks for speaking with us today. Instant Tax Solutions has a good reputation in the industry, but there are many tax relief agencies that aren’t quite so fortunate. What is the first clue a tax relief company may not be on the up and up?
A growing number of criminals, says Instant Tax Solutions, scam people who do not have the money to pay their taxes. Taxpayers know that even if they cannot pay the taxes that they owe, the IRS will still collect, says Instant Tax Solutions. A scam targeting our nation’s poorest individuals uses threatening and hostile tones to intimidate them into paying small sums to scammers pretending to be IRS agents. The scam, says Instant Tax Solutions, may go so far as to have people dressing up like professionals and going door to door in low income areas threatening to seize any assets the residents may have. If they don’t pay them small amounts of cash on the spot, the perpetrators of the scam, says Instant Tax Solutions, may actually get physical with the victim. For more information on how to spot and avoid scams, please visit the IRS’s website at www.IRS.gov
Byron Pedersen: That’s a good question. It’s important to understand that not all taxpayers qualify for tax resolution. An unscrupulous tax relief agency will promise tax resolution to everyone and fail to follow through. Another red flag is when an agency requires an upfront payment. Some tax relief firms charge thousands of dollars up front but Instant Tax Solutions offers a free consultation. During that consultation, an individual will be told whether or not he or she qualifies for tax resolution and if not, no money is owed.
Instant Tax Solutions says scams are being formulated by criminals using purported letters and notices from the IRS. Criminals have found a way to use actual templates from the IRS, says Instant Tax Solutions, and scams now look like normal IRS correspondence. Criminals may target taxpayers who have legitimate issues with the IRS, using this as a way to manipulate the victim into believing that all of the correspondence that they receive is from the IRS. Instant Tax Solutions notes one scam involves form CP 22A, which is a notice of a data processing fee. While the supposed amounts due are generally small, says Instant Tax Solutions this scam and the people who perpetrate them are able to send out mass mailings and achieve a capture rate that makes it a very lucrative scheme.
Interviews & News: Are tax relief agency staff required to carry a license?
Byron Pedersen: Often tax relief firms will employ telemarketers to contact taxpayers. So not only is your first contact with someone who is unlicensed in the field, they also likely lack the experience you would want from a tax adviser.
Watch out, says Instant Tax Solutions. Scams are out there and they are really easy to believe.
Scams, says Instant Tax Solutions, may be perpetrated by one person or there may be an entire office building of people looking to con hard-working Americans out of money. Found recently by Instant Tax Solutions is a scam involving a purported extension request from the IRS. Scammers may use an IRS template letter stating that, for a small fee, the taxpayer is entitled to a 120 day extension of their funds due, says Instant Tax Solutions. Scams look more legitimate when there is a physical address on the letter or email, however, it is a good idea if you suspect that your correspondence is suspicious to call the IRS directly.
Interviews & News: What about Instant Tax Solutions? Is your staff licensed?
Byron Pedersen: Instant Tax Solutions employs a full staff of IRS enrolled agents, tax attorneys, and CPAs, all licensed and experienced to help taxpayers get the tax relief they need. Not only that, but our fully licensed staff is regularly trained on tax law changes, so you can be sure you are being advised by someone who is well educated in the art of tax relief.
According to Instant Tax Solutions, a scam involving the IRS revolves around unpaid back taxes. The intended target will receive a letter from the scammer claiming to be an Internal Revenue Service officer. The perpetrator of this scam, says Instant Tax Solutions, will often provide credentials, including a supposedly legitimate IRS telephone number. In this instance, the entire scam process is lengthy, says Instant Tax Solutions. The scam may play out over the course of half a year. The scammers will use a series of letters, starting with the very unthreatening tone requesting payment. The letters eventually get hostile with the threat to seize assets if small payments are not made immediately, says Instant Tax Solutions. The scam is not intended to gain large sums from a few people but small sums from many.
Interviews & News: What other promises from tax relief firms should taxpayers beware?
Byron Pedersen: Any promise of “quick results” would concern me. Anyone who has been in this business a while knows that IRS resolution is a time-involved process. Instant Tax Solutions takes time to research a taxpayer’s specific case and determine the best resolution before beginning the process to find a resolution.
Instant Tax Solutions: Scams that target our most vulnerable citizens need to be stopped
IRS scams, says Instant Tax Solutions, target the elderly and poor who may not realize that they’ve been scammed until it’s far too late. It’s very important to educate people on how the IRS actually works, according to the professionals at Instant Tax Solutions. As scams become more elaborate and utilize the Internet more and more, many elderly citizens of the United States feel intimidated. Many people born before 1950 are still cautious of the Internet, but know that the government uses it to collect taxes, says Instant Tax Solutions. Scams can be spotted because they often target only low income, level education, and higher age citizens. People who feel intimidated by the IRS are encouraged to let a trusted family member get involved and all correspondence. If you feel that you’ve been a victim of an online scam involving the IRS, please contact them directly.
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