July 1, 2016
Tax scammers work year-round; they don’t take the summer off. The IRS urges you to stay vigilant against calls from scammers impersonating the IRS. Here are several tips from the IRS to help you avoid being a victim:
The real IRS will not:
If you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you do:
If you know you owe, or think you may owe taxes call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS employees can help you if you do owe taxes.
IRS Tax Tips provide valuable information throughout the year. IRS.gov offers tax help and info on various topics including common tax scams, taxpayer rights and more.
IRS YouTube Videos:
IRS Podcasts:
January 28, 2016
We are receiving inquiries regarding how long it will take to receive tax refunds this year due to extra scrutiny the IRS is performing to prevent fraudulent tax refunds. This morning the IRS issued the following notice.
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers that it issues 90 percent of refunds in less than 21 days. The best way to check the status of a refund is online through the “Where’s my Refund?” tool at IRS.gov or via the IRS2Go phone app.
“As February approaches, more and more taxpayers want to know when they can expect their refunds,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “There aren’t any secret tricks to checking on the status of a refund. Using IRS.gov is the best way for taxpayers to get the latest information.”
Many taxpayers are eager to know precisely when their money will be arriving, but checking “Where’s My Refund” more than once a day will not produce new information. The status of refunds is refreshed only once a day, generally overnight.
“Where’s My Refund?” has the most up to date information available about your refund. Taxpayers should use this tool rather than calling.
Taxpayers can use “Where’s My Refund?” to start checking on the status of their return within 24 hours after IRS has received an e-filed return or four weeks after receipt of a mailed paper return. “Where’s My Refund?” has a tracker that displays progress through three stages: (1) Return Received, (2) Refund Approved and (3) Refund Sent.
The IRS2Go phone app is another fast and safe tool taxpayers can use to check the status of a refund. In addition, users can use the app to find free tax preparation help, make a payment, watch the IRS YouTube channel, get the latest IRS news, and subscribe to filing season updates and tax tips. The app is free for Android devices from the Google Play Store or from the Apple App Store for Apple devices.
Users of both the IRS2Go app and “Where’s my Refund” tools must have information from their current, pending tax return to access their refund information.
The IRS reminded taxpayers there’s no advantage to calling about refunds. IRS representatives can only research the status of your refund in limited situations: if it has been 21 days or more since you filed electronically, more than six weeks since you mailed your paper return, or “Where’s My Refund?” directs you to contact us. If the IRS needs more information to process your tax return, we will contact you by mail.
The IRS continues to strongly encourage the use of e-file and direct deposit as the fastest and safest way to file an accurate return and receive a tax refund. More than four out of five tax returns are expected to be filed electronically, with a similar proportion of refunds issued through direct deposit.
See the “What to Expect for Refunds in 2016” page for more.
Please feel free to contact Tax On Wheels, LLC at 803 732-4288 if you need assistance with your tax refund.
December 7, 2015
The theft of your identity, especially personal information such as your name, Social Security number, address and children’s names, can be traumatic and frustrating. In this online era, it’s important to always be on guard.
The IRS has teamed up with state revenue departments and the tax industry to make sure you understand the dangers to your personal and financial data. Taxes. Security. Together. Working in partnership with you, we can make a difference.
Here are seven steps you can make part of your routine to protect your tax and financial information:
1. Read your credit card and banking statements carefully and often – watch for even the smallest charge that appears suspicious. (Neither your credit card nor bank – or the IRS – will send you emails asking for sensitive personal and financial information such as asking you to update your account.)
2. Review and respond to all notices and correspondence from the Internal Revenue Service. Warning signs of tax-related identity theft can include IRS notices about tax returns you did not file, income you did not receive or employers you’ve never heard of or where you’ve never worked. 3. Review each of your three credit reports at least once a year. Visit annualcreditreport.com to get your free reports.
4. Review your annual Social Security income statement for excessive income reported. You can sign up for an electronic account at www.SSA.gov.
5. Read your health insurance statements; look for claims you never filed or care you never received.
6. Shred any documents with personal and financial information. Never toss documents with your personally identifiable information, especially your social security number, in the trash.
7. If you receive any routine federal deposit such as Social Security Administrator or Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, you probably receive those deposits electronically. You can use the same direct deposit process for your federal and state tax refund. IRS direct deposit is safe and secure and places your tax refund directly into the financial account of your choice.
To learn additional steps you can take to protect your personal and financial data, visit Taxes. Security. Together. You also can read Publication 4524, Security Awareness for Taxpayers.
Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.
If you need assistance with identity theft issues, including making sure that you have properly taken all the necessary steps to secure your identity, please feel free to contact Tax On Wheels, LLC at 803 732-4288.
Additional IRS Resources:
IRS YouTube Videos:
IRS Podcasts:
IRS YouTube Video:
Tax Scams: English | Spanish | ASL
WASHINGTON — Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents remain near the top of the annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams for the 2015 filing season, the Internal Revenue Service has announced.
The IRS has seen a surge of these phone scams in recent months as scam artists threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other things. The IRS reminds taxpayers to guard against all sorts of con games that arise during any filing season.
“If someone calls unexpectedly claiming to be from the IRS with aggressive threats if you don’t pay immediately, it’s a scam artist calling,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “The first IRS contact with taxpayers is usually through the mail. Taxpayers have rights, and this is not how we do business.”
The Dirty Dozen is compiled annually by the IRS and lists a variety of common scams taxpayers may encounter any time during the year. Many of these con games peak during filing season as people prepare their tax returns or hire someone to do so. This year for the first time, the IRS will issue the individual Dirty Dozen scams one at a time during the next 12 business days to raise consumer awareness.
Phone scams top the list this year because it has been a persistent and pervasive problem for many taxpayers for many months. Scammers are able to alter caller ID numbers to make it look like the IRS is calling. They use fake names and bogus IRS badge numbers. They often leave “urgent” callback requests. They prey on the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly, newly arrived immigrants and those whose first language is not English. Scammers have been known to impersonate agents from IRS Criminal Investigation as well.
“These criminals try to scare and shock you into providing personal financial information on the spot while you are off guard,” Koskinen said. “Don’t be taken in and don’t engage these people over the phone.”
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received reports of roughly 290,000 contacts since October 2013 and has become aware of nearly 3,000 victims who have collectively paid over $14 million as a result of the scam, in which individuals make unsolicited calls to taxpayers fraudulently claiming to be IRS officials and demanding that they send them cash via prepaid debit cards.
Protect Yourself
As telephone scams continue across the country, the IRS recently put out a new YouTube video with a renewed warning to taxpayers not to be fooled by imposters posing as tax agency representatives. The new Tax Scams video describes some basic tips to help protect taxpayers from tax scams.
These callers may demand money or may say you have a refund due and try to trick you into sharing private information. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They may know a lot about you.
The IRS reminds people that they can know pretty easily when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a tell-tale sign of a scam.
The IRS will never:
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here’s what you should do:
Remember, too, the IRS does not use email, text messages or any social media to discuss your personal tax issue involving bills or refunds. For more information on reporting tax scams, go to www.irs.gov and type “scam” in the search box.
Additional information about tax scams is available on IRS social media sites, including YouTube http://www.youtube.com/irsvideos and Tumblr http://internalrevenueservice.tumblr.com, where people can search “scam” to find all the scam-related posts.
If you receive any communication from the IRS or state taxing authority, regardless of whether it is a phone call or correspondence, your first step is always to contact Tax On Wheels, LLC. If the caller insists that you take action in the next few minutes, that is your first clue that this is probably a scam. If it is a legitimate contact from the IRS we can help prepare a proper response and also help protect and defend your rights as a taxpayer.
Tax On Wheels, LLC can be reached at 803 732-4288.
Columbia, SC (October 24, 2013) — Starting today, South Carolina taxpayers impacted by last year’s security breach at the SC Department of Revenue are able to enroll for up to one year of identity and credit protection coverage with CSID by visiting www.scidprotection.com or by calling 855-880-2743. Enrollment will remain open until October 1, 2014.
“Eligible individuals are encouraged to enroll with this state-provided service to take advantage of the comprehensive array of identity and credit protections provided. CSID has a dedicated team working to ensure an overall successful enrollment process for the taxpayers of South Carolina,” said Department of Revenue Director Bill Blume.
South Carolina taxpayers, their dependents, and businesses who filed an electronic South Carolina tax return between 1998 and 2012 may be eligible for this coverage and are encouraged to enroll with CSID at www.scidprotection.com or by contacting CSID’s South Carolina Identity Protection Hotline at 855-880-2743, open 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Enroll at SCIDprotection.com or by calling 855-880-2743
For more information, contact:
CSID
855-880-2743
Helen Murphy
INK Public Relations for CSID
512-382-8988
Learn More and Enroll at SCIDprotection.com or by calling 855-880-2743
Columbia, SC (October 15, 2013) — The State of South Carolina and CSID, a leading provider of global, enterprise-level identity protection and fraud detection technologies and solutions, today announced that taxpayers impacted by last years’ SC Department of Revenue security breach can begin enrolling in the state-provided identity protection coverage beginning October 24, 2013. Eligible taxpayers can sign up for the identity protection coverage through www.scidprotection.com or by calling 855-880-2743. Enrollment will remain open until October 1, 2014. CSID’s service will end on October 31, 2014, unless the State chooses to renew the contract.
“The goal of the State of South Carolina has been to provide the best in identity and credit protection, and that is what the taxpayers are getting with the comprehensive services of CSID. South Carolina and CSID will work to ensure taxpayers are aware of the state-provided services available, including not only in-state residents, but those residing out of state as well,” said Department of Revenue Director Bill Blume.
South Carolina residents will be provided with ongoing information about enrollment and eligibility through media and public announcements. This will include advertisements in local newspapers and magazines, on radio stations and via local news coverage. CSID will attempt to contact eligible persons living outside of South Carolina via mail.
“We highly encourage eligible South Carolina taxpayers to take advantage of CSID’s identity protection coverage to ensure the integrity of their families’ personal information” said CSID President, Joe Ross. “For any questions about eligibility or enrollment, citizens should keep an eye on local media and news coverage. We will share information through those venues and at www.scidprotection.com.”
Until CSID enrollment is open, taxpayers are encouraged to visit www.scidprotection.com for more information about the services provided, or contact CSID now at 855-880-2743 for more information and to leave a number for call back when enrollment becomes available.
For more information, contact:
CSID
855-880-2743
Helen Murphy
INK Public Relations for CSID
512-382-8988
Columbia, SC (October 8, 2013) — Eligible South Carolina taxpayers can sign up and receive state-provided identity protection coverage through CSID, at www.scidprotection.com or 855-880-2743, beginning October 24, 2013. The deadline to enroll is October 1, 2014.
Until CSID enrollment is open, taxpayers are encouraged to visit www.scidprotection.com for more information about the services provided. Additionally, taxpayers have the option to contact CSID now at 855-880-2743 for more information or for a representative to call the individual back for enrollment when it becomes available.
CSID, the leading provider of global, enterprise-level identity protection and fraud detection technologies and solutions, was selected to assist South Carolina taxpayers whose personal identifying information was potentially compromised during the Department of Revenue security breach in 2012.
“I applaud the state Budget and Control Board for selecting a vendor whose services offer comprehensive identity protection solutions for not only South Carolina individuals, but businesses as well. CSID’s services provide a range of credit and identity monitoring proven to cover potential identity theft, and we hope that all eligible taxpayers will take advantage of the state-provided service through CSID,” said DOR Director Bill Blume.
CSID’s identity protection is a comprehensive service to ensure the protection of an identity through credit and other identity monitoring. These services include credit monitoring from TransUnion, online black market internet surveillance, monitoring of court records and pay day loans, change of address alerts, as well as a Social Security number trace, sex offender monitoring, identity theft insurance and identity restoration.
Minor dependents, adult dependents, and businesses are also eligible for CSID enrollment beginning October 24, 2013.
“Data breaches continue to grow in frequency and severity of impact to both organizations and affected individuals,” said Joe Ross, president of CSID. “CSID offers a comprehensive array of identity protection solutions and services to assist in the mitigation of a data breach event. Our coverage will not only provide incremental identity theft protection for the impacted citizens of South Carolina, but we are also able to offer these services at a price that is cost-effective to the state.”
For more information or a list of frequently asked questions, please visit the DOR website at www.sctax.org/security.
For more information, contact:
CSID
855-880-2743
Helen Murphy
INK Public Relations for CSID
512-382-8988
Columbia, SC (October 4, 2013) — The South Carolina Budget and Control Board today announced that CSID, a leading provider of global enterprise-level identity protection and fraud detection technologies and solutions, has received the award to assist South Carolina taxpayers whose personal information was compromised during the 2012 Department of Revenue (DOR) security breach.
Eligible taxpayers will be able to enroll either online or over the phone with CSID’s state-provided identity protection coverage by no later than October 24, 2013. The deadline to enroll is October 1, 2014.
“I applaud the state Budget and Control Board for selecting a vendor whose services offer comprehensive identity protection solutions for not only South Carolina individuals, but businesses as well. CSID’s services provide a range of credit and identity monitoring proven to cover potential identity theft, and we hope that all eligible taxpayers will take advantage of the state-provided service through CSID,” said DOR Director Bill Blume.
In addition to comprehensive credit bureau monitoring, CSID offers specialized identity monitoring of events such as surveillance of internet and other media for use of personal identifying information. Black market identity monitoring provides internet surveillance to alert individuals if their identity has been stolen, allowing time to remediate before a fraudulent event can occur. If needed, CSID’s Identity Theft Restoration Services will restore the individual’s identity to a pre-compromised state and is available to all eligible individuals even if they have not enrolled with CSID.
Minor dependents, adult dependents, and businesses will be eligible for CSID enrollment no later than October 24, 2013.
In the coming weeks, CSID will launch an enrollment outreach plan to educate the taxpayers of South Carolina on the state-provided services available.
“Data breaches continue to grow in frequency and severity of impact to both organizations and affected individuals,” said Joe Ross, president of CSID. “CSID offers a comprehensive array of identity protection solutions and services to assist in the mitigation of a data breach event. Our coverage will not only provide incremental identity theft protection for the impacted citizens of South Carolina, but we are also able to offer these services at a price that is cost-effective to the state.”
For more information or a list of frequently asked questions, please visit the DOR website at www.sctax.org/security.
For more information, contact:
Helen Murphy
INK Public Relations for CSID
512.382.8988
Columbia, SC (September 23, 2013) — Budget and Control Board Director Marcia Adams today announced that after a competitive bid process, CSIdentity Corporation (CSID) has been awarded a contract to provide an additional year of free credit protection for eligible individuals.
Individuals whose information was potentially compromised in the Department of Revenue (DOR) security breach will be able to enroll in the credit protection and identity monitoring services provided by CSID on October 24, 2013. DOR and CSID will provide more details on the enrollment process in the upcoming weeks.
In addition to comprehensive credit bureau monitoring, CSID offers specialized identity monitoring of events such as surveillance of internet and other media for use of personal identifying information. Black market identity monitoring provides internet surveillance to alert individuals if their identity has been stolen, allowing time to remediate before a fraudulent event can occur. If needed, CSID’s Identity Theft Restoration Services will restore the individual’s identity to a pre-compromised state and is available to all eligible individuals even if they have not enrolled with CSID.
DOR Director Bill Blume stated, “As an agency, the Department of Revenue has taken precautions to ensure the data entrusted to us is processed in a safe and secure environment. We encourage all eligible individuals to continue to protect their personal identifying information by enrolling with CSID. In a world where technology is ever-evolving, CSID offers more than credit protection services by providing the added protection of identity theft monitoring and credit restoration to best protect the citizens of South Carolina.”
Credit and identity theft protection will be available for those eligible including minor dependents, adult dependents, and those with no credit history. Protection for eligible businesses will also be available through CSID.
Credit protection services provided by CSID will end on October 31, 2014, unless the state chooses to extend the CSID contract. Individuals who enrolled with Experian are still covered for one year from the date of their enrollment, and can enroll in CSID’s credit protection service while still enrolled with Experian.
CSID Background:
Headquartered in Austin, TX, CSID is the leading provider of global identity protection and fraud detection technologies for businesses, their employees and consumers.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Columbia, SC (September 17, 2013) — Taxpayers are encouraged to be patient in making a decision about the continued credit monitoring services offered by any vendor, including Experian, until they have an opportunity to evaluate the services the state will cover and soon make available.
The state Budget and Control Board is in the process of reviewing bids and a formal announcement will be made next week as to which vendor was chosen to offer credit and identification protection. The vendor will work alongside the state of South Carolina to promote and educate the public on the protection service.
The final details of the state provided protection service will be in place by October 24, 2013, prior to any taxpayer coverage lapsing.
DOR Director Bill Blume stated, “It is our goal to protect the private information of South Carolina citizens, and we want to ensure that individuals are aware of the state provided credit and identity theft protection available for a second year.”
Individuals are still covered through Experian for one year from their date of enrollment. In addition, those citizens who choose to purchase their own protection have the ability to deduct a portion of that cost from their state income taxes.
Experian credit protection will expire for South Carolina taxpayers 12 months from their initial enrollment date.
Individuals can visit www.sctax.org to stay up to date on the latest information available on credit protection for South Carolina taxpayers.