Search
Google
Web This Site
Recommended Sites
Related Links
   

Informative Articles

IRS Holding $2 Billion In Unclaimed Tax Refunds
Every year, the IRS announces that it is holding unclaimed tax refunds. Taxpayers have a limited time to claim the $2 billion dollars the IRS is currently holding. Three years is a magical number when it comes to tax returns. It refers to the...
IRS Obtains More Than 100 Injunctions Against Tax Scheme Promoters
The IRS announced today that it has obtained civil injunctions against more than 100 promoters of illegal tax avoidance schemes and fraudulent return preparers in an ongoing crackdown that began in 2001. Many of the injunctions, obtained in...
It might not pay to delay director's fees
Under the new tax law, however, the advantages of deferred payment may be outweighed by disadvantages. It may no longer pay to wait. Until now, it was smart for a company director to defer receiving director's fees until after retirement,...
Planning Starts with the Basics
Planning Starts with the Basics When developing a plan for your finances, the toughest question often is: “Where do I begin?” Before investing in stocks and bonds or buying life insurance, before implementing any change or making any decisions, you...
The "Credit Card Debt Termination" Scam
"Legally terminate credit card debt! You can be debt-free in 4-6 months!" Advertisements like this are for a new type of program that has spread via the Internet over the past few years. It's called "Credit Card Debt Termination," and victims are...
 
Identity Theft – Impacting Your Taxes?

If your identity is stolen, your finances can quickly become a nightmare. A less obvious problem is the effect identity theft can have on your taxes.

Identity Theft

Generally, thieves steal your personal data for the purpose of running up credit card charges or opening and abusing new accounts. A developing trend in the identity theft field concerns schemes impacting your taxes.

Selling Social Security Numbers

Identity thieves have created a new line of business – selling your social security number. Who would want to buy it? The list is surprising long, but undocumented workers, individuals with bad credit and people trying to obtain a new identity lead the list. This can create a huge problem for you since any income paid to those individuals is reported to the IRS as being paid to you. This results in the IRS having inflated income numbers and, often, audits when you “under report” your income.

With the creation of the Real ID Act, better known as the National ID Card, things will only get worse. Under the Act, all workers will be required to submit social security numbers to obtain jobs. With our leaky borders, there will be a high demand for your social security number.

False Tax Filings

It doesn't take much to file a tax return. What's to stop an identity thief from filing one under your name to generate a refund? Nothing. To generate the maximum refund, you can be all kinds of frivolous deductions will be claimed. After all, it will be you that has to attend the audit.

What Can I Do?

If you receive a notice from the IRS that leads you to believe someone may have used your Social Security Number fraudulently, you should notify the IRS immediately. Indicators can be found in notices from the IRS that state:

1. More than one tax return for you was filed, or

2. IRS records indicate you received wages from an employer unknown to you.

Don't hesitate or be nervous about contacting the IRS. The agency knows this is a growing problem and not an “opportunity” to pound on taxpayers.

About the Author
Richard Chapo is with Business Tax Recovery - Obtaining tax refunds for small businesses for overpaid taxes. Go to our article section to discover tax strategies and deductions.