Now that tax season is over, be prepared for tax scams that will inevitably take place by phone or email. Scammers know no bounds and they will be in full force. In this Forbes Magazine article, the author discusses scams that are prevalent before or maybe even after taxes have been filed. Post tax season scams can be equally dangerous. Regardless of how you filed your taxes, it is important for you to be vigilant in helping fight back against the scammers. Here are common post-tax season scams to be aware of:

  • Audits – a popular topic after tax season is over are audits. Audits happen to random people and businensses so it is easy to understand why scammers use this as a backdrop. If you filed your taxes with a CPA or tax professional, they will be notified. Likely, the CPA will contact you about an audit instead of the “IRS”.
  • Post-tax season generosity is exposed. A newly formed scam of late is that callers will ask you to donate money to specific causes catering to the sensibililites of what is happening with current events. If this happens, always ask for a non-profit number or a website where you can “donate”. If either do not exist, hang up.
  • Offer to redo your taxes to get you bigger refund. Even after tax season is over, scammers will attempt to get you to give them their taxes to get a bigger refund. Having already filed once, you would not be susceptible to any penalties. The scammer only needs one small window for their target to believe that and they are in.

The evolution of scams will always change. As tax season is well over, be prepared for at least an attempted call from a scammer. If you don’t receive one, consider yourself very fortunate. If you do, however, call your local authorities and report it to the IRS.