Late Tax Scam over the Internet

Manistique, MI – Sheriff Harris reminds taxpayers that are filing late or filing for extensions to beware of a new scam on the internet that lures taxpayers into filing tax information on a site masquerading as a member of the Free File Alliance.

“Con-artists are always looking for a way to cheat the public out of money,” said Sheriff Harris. “While filing via the internet saves time and often means quicker returns taxpayers need to be aware that there are people out there trying to get your money.”

The latest twist on tax scams involves tax preparation websites that inaccurately say they are part of the Free File Alliance, a partnership between 19 tax software companies and the IRS. The IRS is working with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to look into allegations that the websites accepted tax information from taxpayers, changed the taxpayers’ bank account numbers to their own and then filed the return through a legitimate Free File partner.

Sheriff Harris encourages taxpayers looking for a free e-filing solution to visit the official IRS website IRS.gov for more information. To qualify for free e-file, taxpayers need to have an adjusted gross income of less then $52,000. The IRS estimates that 95 million out of the 136 million taxpayers meet this qualification.