Taxpayers Should Be Wary of Unsolicited Calls from the IRS.

Taxpayers who get an unexpected or unsolicited phone call from the IRS should be wary – it’s probably a scam. Phone calls continue to be one of the most common ways that thieves try to get taxpayers to provide personal information. These scammers then use that information to gain access to the victim’s bank or other account.

When a taxpayer answers the phone, it might be a recording or a person claiming to be from the IRS. Sometimes the scammer tells the taxpayer they owe money and must pay right away. They might also say the person has a refund waiting, and then they ask for bank account information over the phone.

Taxpayers should not take the bait and fall for this trick. Here are several tips that will help taxpayers avoid becoming a scam victim.

The real IRS will NOT: ● Call to demand immediate payment ● Call someone if they owe taxes without first sending a bill in the mail ● Demand tax payment and not allow the taxpayer to question or appeal the amount owed ● Require that someone pay their taxes a certain way, such as with a prepaid debit card ● Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone ● Threaten to bring in local police or other agencies to arrest a taxpayer who doesn’t pay ● Threaten a lawsuit

ESTIMATED TAX PAYMENTS

Not everyone needs to make estimated tax payments. For example, if you are an employee, you do not need to make estimated tax payments because your employer withholds taxes from every paycheck and sends the money to the government for you. This way, you pay your income taxes as you go.

But if you are self-employed, estimated tax payments are the IRS-mandated method of paying income taxes as you go. Estimated tax payments are due in four quarterly installments (although not every quarter is three months long):

1st quarterly tax payment due date: April 15th 2nd quarterly tax payment due date: June 15th 3rd quarterly tax payment due date: September 15th 4th quarterly tax payment due date: January 15th

Consumer Alert: IRS Warns Taxpayers, Tax Pros of New Email Scam Targeting Hotmail Users

The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers and tax professionals of a new email scam targeting Hotmail users that is being used to steal personal and financial information.

The phishing email subject line reads: “Internal Revenue Service Email No. XXXX | We’re processing your request soon | TXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX”. The email leads taxpayers to sign in to a fake Microsoft page and then asks for personal and financial information.

The IRS has received over 900 complaints about this new phishing scheme that seems to exclusively target Hotmail users. The suspect websites associated with this scam have been shut down, but taxpayers should be on the lookout for similar schemes.

Individuals who receive unsolicited emails claiming to be from the IRS should forward it to phishing@irs.gov and then delete it. It is important to keep in mind the IRS generally does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. For more information, visit the “Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts” page on IRS.gov.