Tag Archives: tax return

Tax Time Temptation

taxesHomer Simpson, doing his tax return at the last minute: “Okay, Marge, if anybody asks, you require 24-hour nursing care, Lisa’s a clergyman, Maggie is seven people and Bart was wounded in Vietnam.”

Tax time is an anxious time. Depending on your income bracket, your cash situation or other circumstances, you may be dreading this time of year. And you may be thinking about ways to reduce your tax bill, some legitimate, others not so much.

Just so you know, the IRS know all the angles. And they have issued a press release outlining some bad tax ideas that you, or a scammer, or a crooked tax preparer might be tempted to perpetrate.

Here are the bullet points for the IRS “Dirty Dozen” tax scams for 2015. The first three are scams that might victimize you. The rest are schemes that some taxpayers and preparers may be tempted to pull. Either way, be warned:

  • Phone Scams
  • Phishing
  • Identity Theft
  • Return Preparer Fraud
  • Offshore Tax Avoidance
  • Inflated Refund Claims
  • Fake Charities
  • Hiding Income with Fake Documents
  • Abusive Tax Shelters
  • Falsifying Income to Claim Credits
  • Excessive Claims for Fuel Tax Credits
  • Frivolous Tax Arguments

For all the details, DEFINITELY read the official press release. How about you? It’s never fun, but when you have your deductions and credits and all your documentation lined up, paying taxes can be a little less stressful. Have you got it together? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!