Archive for Fraud

What To Do If You Are Accused Of Concealment of Income?

Don’t Fudge The Numbers

If you have been accused of concealment of income or making false or misleading statements on your tax return, you can face dire criminal and civil consequences and must get in touch with an experienced taxpayer attorney as soon as practicable.

Hefty Penalties

If you file a fraudulent tax return, it is considered misreporting and concealment of income by the IRS; concealment of income could result in both civil and criminal penalties under the law. That being said, civil penalties are usually more common; this is because the government needs to dedicate fewer resources to the investigation as it has to meet a relatively lower burden of proof.

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Written by | Posted in Fraud • Income • Income Concealment

IRS Alerts Taxpayers About Refund Scam

The IRS warns taxpayers of a new twist on an old scam. Criminals are depositing fraudulent tax refunds into individuals’ actual bank accounts, then attempting to reclaim the refund from the taxpayers.
Here are the basic steps criminals follow to carry out this scam. The thief:

• Hacks tax preparers’ computers to steal taxpayer data.

• Uses the stolen information to file tax returns as the taxpayers.

• Has refunds deposited into taxpayers’ bank accounts. Read More

Written by | Posted in Fraud • IRS • IRS Scam • Tax Reform • TaxConnections

Security Summit Partners Warn Tax Pros Of Heightened Fraud Activity As Filing Season Approaches

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies and the tax industry today warned tax professionals of early signs that cybercriminals already are at work as the nation’s tax season approaches. Fraudsters are using a new round of emails posing as potential clients or even the IRS to trick tax practitioners into disclosing sensitive information.

The Security Summit partners encourage tax practitioners to be wary of communicating solely by email with potential or even existing clients, especially if unusual requests are made. Data breach thefts have given thieves millions of identity data points including names, addresses, Social Security numbers and email addresses. If in doubt, tax practitioners should call to confirm a client’s identity.  Read More

Written by | Posted in Fraud • IRS • TaxConnections

The Clawback: Receiving A Proper Refund

Very often there may be a Ponzi Scheme financial theft, in which certain taxpayers have profited since they made early investments and were paid unusual profits that did not exist. Often taxpayers in Ponzi Schemes that have benefited from the financial loss of others are called upon by a trustee to forfeit the profits made in the Ponzi Scheme. Read More

Written by | Posted in Fraud • Tax Refund

Avoid Ponzi Schemes With This Professional Inside Scoop

There are several investments that turn out to be fraudulent schemes in which investors invest their hard earned funds and lose those funds because there was never in fact an actual investment that produced profits. Generally, those frauds are known as Ponzi Schemes.

Taxpayers who lose money in Ponzi Schemes may enjoy a tax advantage and recoup some of their lost funds by deducting their losses as financial theft losses. Deductions may be used against income that is being earned by the defrauded taxpayer, both before and after the fraud is discovered. There are several important rules that must be followed to enjoy this tax benefit.

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Written by | Posted in Fraud • Schemes

Holiday Fraud Awareness Reminders

Fraud Alert: this reminder comes at a timely moment as we head into the busy and hopefully joyous holiday season. With all the distractions of the season, it’s easy to forget about the devious schemes some people on this planet use to con others out of their hard earned cash.

Complete strangers commit the most common cases of fraud via the telephone and Internet. However, it’s not uncommon to hear about other crimes committed by trusted employees, financial advisers, tax preparation officials and even family members. You simply must be alert and learn how to recognize when a con is happening. Read More

Written by | Posted in Fraud