IRS Warns Taxpayers of Scams

Source: Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California reminded taxpayers of the July 15 filing and payment deadline and warned against an increase in tax and COVID-19 scams.

Due to COVID-19, the original filing deadline and tax payment due date for 2019 was postponed from April 15 to July 15. Taxpayers filing Form 1040 series returns must file Form 4868 by July 15 to obtain the automatic extension to Oct. 15.

“Although the extension provides additional time to file your tax return – it is not an extension to pay any taxes due, explained Ryan Korner, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation division in Southern California. The IRS has several options available to help taxpayers facing hardships who cannot pay in full, including those affected by COVID-19. The IRS encourages you to visit IRS.gov as soon as possible to explore these options and avoid accruing interest and penalties after the July 15 deadline.”

“Voluntary compliance remains key to the integrity of the tax system which funds our Nation. I want to warn those who are considering cheating that there are severe consequences, including significant financial penalties and prison. I also want to ensure taxpayers who diligently meet their responsibilities that those who intentionally choose not to, will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Korner.

As the filing deadline approaches, taxpayers should beware of tax and COVID-19 related scams. “Despite the pandemic that has disrupted our nation, criminals still use the tax filing deadline as an opportunity to steal taxpayers’ personal and financial information,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “We urge all taxpayers to remain vigilant against these kinds of scams and to immediately report them to law enforcement so we can punish these bad actors.”

In the last few months, the IRS Criminal Investigation division (CI) has continued to see a tremendous increase in a variety of Economic Impact Payment scams and other financial schemes. CI continues to work with its law enforcement partners to put a stop to these schemes and bring criminals to justice.

Taxpayers can report COVID-19 scams to the National Center for Disaster Fraud. Taxpayers can also report fraud or theft of their Economic Impact Payments to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Unsolicited (phishing) e-mails that appear to be from the IRS should be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov.

For the most up-to-date information about the tax filing deadline and IRS impersonation scams, taxpayers can visit IRS.gov.