Here are the warning signs of scams during tax season
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Tax season is less than two weeks away and the Internal Revenue Service says there are some warning signs to keep in mind.
The agency says if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
You should watch out for bad tax advice on social media that may convince you to lie on forms or mislead you about credits you can claim.
The IRS also says demands or threats are red flags.
Public weighs in on plans to opt out of property tax cap
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners intends to opt out of the statewide adjusted base year ad valorem homestead exemption for Columbia County, we learned on Tuesday.
Also, watch out for those who want you to pay right away or threaten to arrest you.
“The IRS is never going to you by text message. You’re not going to do anything other than send you a letter in the good old mail. That’s the only way they’re going to you. Everything else is not legitimate. Just ignore it. And the other thing is, I’d recommend that all folks, once you have all your documents filed as soon as possible, it minimizes your risk of identity theft,” Ryan Polk, Clemson University.
The deadline for both Georgia and South Carolina is May 1.
It was extended because of Hurricane Helene.
Why homeowners should report damage, according to local appraisers
Destroyed and damaged homes can lower a property’s value until they’re rebuilt or repaired. That’s why homeowners should report any damage.
As tax season kicks off and W-2s begin arriving in mailboxes, consumer experts are warning taxpayers to watch out for scammers posing as tax preparers.
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), scammers are actively looking to get their hands on your sensitive documents and hard-earned cash.
“A lot of times we’ll get reports to our scam tracker about people receiving phone calls or emails or text messages from someone claiming to be the IRS, saying that they owe taxes, to click on a link, or to pay them over the phone,” BBB Spokesperson Melanie McGovern said. “And we know that’s not how the IRS conducts business.”
Augusta leaders weigh the will of voters on tax exemption
Augusta commissioners on Monday spent a lot of their meeting discussing the law allowing the city to opt out of a “floating” homestead exemption for property taxes.
McGovern emphasized that the IRS will never call, text, or email you demanding payment. Any correspondence that urges you to act immediately or claims to resolve all your IRS problems should raise a red flag.
“Anytime you hear an ment that claims to do something, and you think to yourself, ‘well, that’d be great. But is that real?’ You want to check them out with BBB,” McGovern said.
McGovern provided some actionable steps to avoid becoming a victim of tax scams:
- File early: Filing your taxes early can prevent scammers from filing under your name and stealing your refund.
“We always encourage people to get your taxes done early. Then you can avoid tax scams and any kind of identity fraud, especially if you’re scrambling at the last minute. You may be a little bit more vulnerable. You may click on a link that isn’t right, you may fall for a phishing scam in your email,” McGovern warned.
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