Misleading social media advice leads to false claims for Fuel Tax Credit, Sick and Family Leave Credit, household employment taxes; FAQs help address common questions, next steps for those receiving IRS letters
The Internal Revenue Service issued alert IR-2024-139 about a series of scams and inaccurate social media advice. Social media schemes led to thousands of inflated refund claims during the past tax season. The IRS has increased its compliance efforts related to false and/or questionable credits.
These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible. Accordingly, these FAQs may not address any particular taxpayer’s specific facts and circumstances, and they may be updated or modified upon further review.
Background
The IRS warns taxpayers not to fall for these scams centered around the Fuel Tax Credit, the Sick and Family Leave Credit, household employment taxes and overstated withholding. The IRS has seen thousands of dubious claims come in where it appears taxpayers are claiming credits for which they are not eligible, leading to refunds being delayed and the need for taxpayers to show they have legitimate documentation to support these claims.
The IRS continues to urge taxpayers to avoid these scams as myths continue to persist that these are ways to obtain a huge refund.
The IRS reminds taxpayers to keep these important points in mind:
Continue Reading at IRS.gov
The Internal Revenue Service issued alert IR-2024-139 about a series of scams and inaccurate social media advice. Social media schemes led to thousands of inflated refund claims during the past tax season. The IRS has increased its compliance efforts related to false and/or questionable credits.
These FAQs are being issued to provide general information to taxpayers and tax professionals as expeditiously as possible. Accordingly, these FAQs may not address any particular taxpayer’s specific facts and circumstances, and they may be updated or modified upon further review.
Background
The IRS warns taxpayers not to fall for these scams centered around the Fuel Tax Credit, the Sick and Family Leave Credit, household employment taxes and overstated withholding. The IRS has seen thousands of dubious claims come in where it appears taxpayers are claiming credits for which they are not eligible, leading to refunds being delayed and the need for taxpayers to show they have legitimate documentation to support these claims.
The IRS continues to urge taxpayers to avoid these scams as myths continue to persist that these are ways to obtain a huge refund.
The IRS reminds taxpayers to keep these important points in mind:
- Social media can connect people and information from all over the globe. Unfortunately, sometimes people provide bad tax advice that can lure good taxpayers into trouble.
- The IRS warns taxpayers to be wary of trusting internet advice, whether it’s a fraudulent tactic promoted by scammers or a deliberately false tax-related scheme trending across popular social media platforms.
- The IRS is aware of various filing season hashtags and social media topics related to this fraudulent information. These generally involve people trying to use legitimate tax forms for the wrong reason.
Continue Reading at IRS.gov