With the official start date of the 2024 tax season beginning Jan. 29, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation (CI) Atlanta Field Office reminds taxpayers to choose tax preparers wisely when preparing their taxes.
Seventy percent of CI’s time and resources is devoted to investigating tax crimes that include questionable refund schemes, return preparer fraud, abusive tax schemes, and more. This tax season, CI is cracking down on schemes that victimize U.S. taxpayers.
In fiscal year 2023, CI initiated 1,409 tax crime investigations and identified $5.5 billion in tax fraud. Six hundred fifty-five defendants were sentenced for tax crimes during the last fiscal year.
“It is important taxpayers find a trusted tax preparer who can provide assistance in completing their returns and helping them comply with the law,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Doing the research on tax preparers is one way to protect themselves against those whose engage in fraudulent activities.”
Return preparer fraud generally involves the preparation and filing of false income tax returns by preparers who claim inflated personal or business expenses, false deductions, unallowable credits, or excessive exemptions on returns prepared for their clients.
CI urges U.S. taxpayers to be vigilant this tax season:
- Avoid return preparers who claim they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers or whose fee is a percentage of your tax refund.
- Use a reputable tax professional who signs and enters a preparer tax identification number (PTIN) on your tax return and provides you with a copy of the return for your records.
- Never sign a blank tax form and ensure your refund goes to your account, not your tax preparer’s.
- Protect your personal and financial information. Don’t click links or open attachments in unsolicited emails or text messages about your tax return or those claiming to be from the IRS. These messages are fraudulent and could contain malware that could compromise your personal information.
The IRS CI Atlanta Field Office special agents and staff are committed to protecting Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi taxpayers from unscrupulous tax preparers. For more information on choosing a tax professional or how to file a complaint against one, visit IRS.gov or contact the Atlanta Field Office at atlantafieldoffice@ci.irs.gov.
.Although in many cases, the client is unaware of the tax preparer’s actions, they still can be held accountable for their return.
