#eftp-text

[ecchifortheplot]

If you haven’t seen Gawr Gura sing ... you .. youuuuu... you should definitely do so - such an unbelievable beautiful voice - really touched my soul - you know the drill

[thinktradeinc]

Benefits of Form 2290 Electronic Filing.

The foremost is receiving back your IRS stamped Schedule-1 proof instantly, IRS could receive your returns and process it faster than any other way of filing. Choosing online filing or electronic filing eliminated all possible human errors that could happen in a tax return. Let see some of the larger benefits of e-filing with @tax2290.com. 

·         Faster PROCESSING - e-filed returns are processed much faster than paper filed returns.

·         Proof of Receipt - confirmation that your return was received and accepted, IRS stamped Schedule-1 proof is sent to your mail inbox immediately.

·         Instant Text Alert – Text Alert on return status once there is an update from IRS

·         FAX copies – receive copies of your Schedule-1 to your FAX instantly and a copy to your email inbox.

·         Convenience - available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. File your 2290 tax returns any time. File amendments and correction on the same day, in less than an hour.

·         Ease of use - user friendly, with step-by-step instructions and clear screens indicators to walk you through the filing process. E-file is a cake-walk

·         Greater Accuracy in Processing – zero down math errors because Tax2290.com software catches many mistakes and will not sent an incomplete return to IRS.

·         Pay Right – while you e-file you pay the tax that you owe not extra or less.

·         Electronic Payment - convenience of direct withdrawal of tax due and EFTPS option to make payments.  

·         Less Hassle, No Mails - no mailing of paper returns and waiting for mails for weeks, everything is managed electronically and digitally.

·         Security - safer than mailing your tax return and sent right to the IRS server no more data loss.

·         Avoid paying extra – when you e-file you can make sure your return reaches them well in the time frame no late penalties or late filing charges.

·         Import tax return – you could import the tax returns from your previous years and no need to look around for details in your files.

·         Bulk Upload – when you file for larger fleets you can bulk upload the VIN# from your excel spread sheet and no need of keying in one after the other.

·         No more typos – while you e-file you won’t get typos such us 1 for I or 0 for o etc.

 Electronic filing is by and large the best way of reporting 2290 heavy vehicle use tax returns with the IRS and through Tax2290.com you get the best available resources. The most trusted and rated website since 2007.

[williamtruax]

BEWARE! New COVID-Related Scam Targets Taxpayers

With cybercrime on the rise in the wake of COVID-19, we want to remind taxpayers they should be on high alert against tax fraud and other related financial scams. Over the past few months alone, the IRS Criminal Investigation division has seen a significant increase in crimes related to Economic Impact Payments (EIP) and other tax-related schemes looking to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers. 

In fact, just this week the IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry warned of a new text scam created by thieves that trick people into disclosing bank account information under the guise of receiving a $1,200 Economic Impact Payment.

 New SMS Text Scam is Very Deceptive

The scam text message states: "You have received a direct deposit of $1,200 from COVID-19 TREAS FUND. Further action is required to accept this payment into your account. Continue here to accept this payment …" The text includes a link to a fake phishing web address.

This fake phishing URL, which appears to come from a state agency or relief organization, takes recipients to a fraudulent website that impersonates the IRS.gov Get My Payment website. Individuals who visit the fraudulent website and then enter their personal and financial account information will have their information stolen by these scammers. 

People who receive this text scam should take a screen shot of the text message they received and then send it in an email to phishing@irs.gov with the following information:

Date/Time they received the text message

The number that appeared on their Caller ID

The number that received the text message

As we’ve mentioned in previous articles about tax security, the IRS does not send unsolicited texts or emails. They also don’t call people with threats of jail and lawsuits, or demand tax payments on gift cards. There’s a ton of really bad information floating around right now so it’s always a good idea to check before you click and verify sources for accuracy.

The Federal Trade Commission has some great information about how to recognize and report spam text messages if you’d like to learn more.

 Don’t Let Your Guard Down

Scams related to COVID-19 are not limited to stealing EIPs from taxpayers. We’ve been seeing creative schemes related to the organized selling of fake at-home test kits, offers to sell fake cures, vaccines, pills and advice on unproven treatments for COVID-19. Other scams are aimed at trying to sell large quantities of medical supplies through the creation of fake online stores, social media accounts and email addresses where criminals fail to deliver promised supplies after receiving funds. 

Some criminals are even offering opportunities to invest early in companies working on a vaccine for the disease promising that the "company" will dramatically increase in value as a result. These promotions are often presented as "research reports" or make predictions of a specific "target price" related to low-priced stocks issued by small companies with limited publicly available information.

There has also been a tremendous increase in phishing scams utilizing emails, letters, texts and website links aimed at tricking unsuspecting taxpayers into giving up their personal and financial information. These phishing schemes are using keywords such as "Coronavirus," "COVID-19," or "Stimulus Payments" and are being blasted to large numbers of people in an effort to get account numbers and passwords.

 How to Report a Crime

If you receive an email, letter or phone call that looks suspicious, we recommend calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or opening a case through their web complaint form. The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Department of Justice's Criminal Division dedicated to improving the detection, prevention, investigation and prosecution of criminal conduct related to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies, such as COVID-19.

Taxpayers can also report phishing attempts directly to the IRS. Those who’ve receive unsolicited emails or social media attempts to gather information that appear to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), should forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

We’ve shared a number of important steps you can take at home or work to help keep your information safe from cybercriminals in our 7-part Data Security series.

 If you have any questions about cybersecurity or how Truax helps keep your personal and financial information secure, please CONTACT US right away. We’re here to help!

[go-redgirl]

IRS Issues Warning About Coronavirus-related Scams; Watch Out For Schemes Tied To Economic  Impact Payments

IRS issues warning about Coronavirus-related scams; watch out for schemes tied to economic impact payments.

R-2020-64, April 2, 2020

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today urged taxpayers to be on the lookout for a surge of calls and email phishing attempts about the Coronavirus, or COVID-19. These contacts can lead to tax-related fraud and identity theft.

"We urge people to take extra care during this period. The IRS isn't going to call you asking to verify or provide your financial information so you can get an economic impact payment or your refund faster," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "That also applies to surprise emails that appear to be coming from the IRS. Remember, don't open them or click on attachments or links. Go to IRS.gov for the most up-to-date information."

Taxpayers should watch not only for emails but text messages, websites and social media attempts that request money or personal information.

"History has shown that criminals take every opportunity to perpetrate a fraud on unsuspecting victims, especially when a group of people is vulnerable or in a state of need," said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Don Fort. "While you are waiting to hear about your economic impact payment, criminals are working hard to trick you into getting their hands on it. The IRS Criminal Investigation Division is working hard to find these scammers and shut them down, but in the meantime, we ask people to remain vigilant."

Don't fall prey to Coronavirus tricks; retirees among potential targets

The IRS and its Criminal Investigation Division have seen a wave of new and evolving phishing schemes against taxpayers. In most cases, the IRS will deposit economic impact payments into the direct deposit account taxpayers previously provided on tax returns. Those taxpayers who have previously filed but not provided direct deposit information to the IRS will be able to provide their banking information online to a newly designed secure portal on IRS.gov in mid-April. If the IRS does not have a taxpayer's direct deposit information, a check will be mailed to the address on file. Taxpayers should not provide their direct deposit or other banking information for others to input on their behalf into the secure portal.

The IRS also reminds retirees who don't normally have a requirement to file a tax return that no action on their part is needed to receive their $1,200 economic impact payment. Seniors should be especially careful during this period. The IRS reminds retirees – including recipients of Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099 − that no one from the agency will be reaching out to them by phone, email, mail or in person asking for any kind of information to complete their economic impact payment, also sometimes referred to as rebates or stimulus payments. The IRS is sending these $1,200 payments automatically to retirees – no additional action or information is needed on their part to receive this.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that scammers may:

Emphasize the words "Stimulus Check" or "Stimulus Payment." The official term is economic impact payment.

Ask the taxpayer to sign over their economic impact payment check to them.

Ask by phone, email, text or social media for verification of personal and/or banking information saying that the information is needed to receive or speed up their economic impact payment.

Suggest that they can get a tax refund or economic impact payment faster by working on the taxpayer's behalf. This scam could be conducted by social media or even in person.

Mail the taxpayer a bogus check, perhaps in an odd amount, then tell the taxpayer to call a number or verify information online in order to cash it.

Reporting Coronavirus-related or other phishing attempts

Those who receive unsolicited emails, text messages or social media attempts to gather information that appear to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), should forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

Taxpayers are encouraged not to engage potential scammers online or on the phone. Learn more about reporting suspected scams by going to the Report Phishing and Online Scams page on IRS.gov.

Official IRS information about the COVID-19 pandemic and economic impact payments can be found on the Coronavirus Tax Relief page on IRS.gov. The page is updated quickly when new information is available.

[elizabethcariasa]

COVID payments are on the way. So are related tax scams

The specifics on how and when the Internal Revenue Service will issue the payments created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act have been changing.

First, older filers were going to have to file a special return form to get the money. Now, the Treasury Department says the IRS will use eligible recipients' Social Security information and directly deposit them without requiring any additional action .

As for when that will happen, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said yesterday that the delivery timetable has been accelerated . The IRS will start getting the money out to some next week .

However, one thing that hasn't changed in all the COVID-19 chaos. Crooks are trying to get their hands on these payments, which could be up to $1,200 for single taxpayers, $2,400 for married couples who file jointly, plus $500 for each dependent child who is younger than 17.

Taxes are easy COVID-19 scam bait: The IRS-administered economic impact payments aren't the only target of thieves, identity and otherwise. Myriad coronavirus schemes already have appeared.

But the payments offer yet another way for criminals to apply their skeevy skills.

That's why the IRS is officially urging taxpayers to be on the lookout for a surge of tax-related fraud and identity theft calls and email phishing attempts in connection with coronavirus.

"We urge people to take extra care during this period. The IRS isn't going to call you asking to verify or provide your financial information so you can get an economic impact payment or your refund faster," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "That also applies to surprise emails that appear to be coming from the IRS. Remember, don't open them or click on attachments or links. Go to IRS.gov for the most up-to-date information."

The head of the tax agency charged with going after crooks echoed that warning.

"History has shown that criminals take every opportunity to perpetrate a fraud on unsuspecting victims, especially when a group of people is vulnerable or in a state of need," said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Don Fort. "While you are waiting to hear about your economic impact payment, criminals are working hard to trick you into getting their hands on it. The IRS Criminal Investigation Division is working hard to find these scammers and shut them down, but in the meantime, we ask people to remain vigilant."

Retirees are key scam targets: All those Social Security recipients and other retirees are, once again, a favorite target of schemers.

As I noted in an earlier post on coronavirus scams , crooks have been using a Facebook variation that targets seniors by offering a special grant to help pay medical bills.

Now older folks need to be on the lookout for tax versions. Unfortunately, the crooks' efforts have been unintentionally aided by Treasury's reversal of its original decision on how Social Security recipients would get their COVID-19 payments.

Some con artists, hoping that some benefit recipients still think they must take action to get the money, no doubt will come up with schemes offering to help in the delivery process. You don't need the so-called assistance.

Treasury and IRS have back-tracked and clarified that retirees who don't normally have to file a tax return don't have to worry about doing so now to get their $1,200 economic impact payment.

The IRS will use the information on these individuals' SSA-1099 and RRB-1099 forms to send them the COVID-19 payments in the same way they get their benefits, either direct deposit or mailed check.

That means no one from the IRS is going to contact retirees by phone, email, mail or in person asking for any kind of information to complete their economic impact payment. The money will be on its way to them automatically and soon.

Everyone needs to be on guard: The rest of us also need to be cautious.

Most of us won't have to do anything to get the payments. Folks who last year filed a 2018 tax year return or who already this year have filed a 1040 for 2019 taxes will get a coronavirus payment based on the latest filing info the IRS has.

And like our senior citizen family and friends, the payments, also referred to as rebates or stimulus checks, will be delivered based on how we told the IRS to deliver our tax refunds for our 2018 or 2019 filings. That's either as a snail mailed paper check or directly deposited into a bank account.

Where the IRS doesn't have a taxpayer's direct deposit information, the agency will mail check to your address it has on file.

Watch out for Coronavirus tricks: We Americans, however, are an impatient lot, regardless of our age. We're always looking for ways to more quickly get things done and get things period.

That urgency applies especially to tax refunds and other tax-related payouts. Crooks know this.

So con artists are likely to soon be contacting potential victims and telling them that they can help them get their money faster. All you have to do is let the caller — or emailer or texter or Facebook or Twitter poster or whatever contact method the schemer uses — work on your behalf to get your money.

They'll get your money, all right, but for themselves, not you. They also could steal your identity and the rest of your cash or credit in the process.

The IRS says other coronavirus scammers may:

Emphasize the words "Stimulus Check" or "Stimulus Payment." The official term is economic impact payment.

Ask the taxpayer to sign over their economic impact payment check to them.

Ask by phone, email, text or social media for verification of personal and/or banking information saying that the information is needed to receive or speed up their economic impact payment.

Mail the taxpayer a bogus check, perhaps in an odd amount, then tell the taxpayer to call a number or verify information online in order to cash it.

Ignore then report scams: If you see or are approached in any of these ways, ignore them. Don't click on bogus links in emails or other messages from people you don't know even if — especially if! — they look to be official. Hang up on callers. Slam doors in the crooks faces.

Then report them.

If you get unsolicited emails, text messages or social media attempts to gather information that appear to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), forward it to phishing@irs.gov .

And then just be patient. Your real, official IRS COVID-19 economic impact payment really will soon be in the mail or electronically transmitted to your account.

You also might find these items of interest:

Tax, other scammers take advantage of coronavirus fears

6 ways to avoid being a tax scam victim

No, that is not the Taxpayer Advocate calling in latest IRS impersonation scam

Advertisements

[vegas-glitz]

Phishing E mail Cons Increasingly Goal the IRS

http://topicsofnote.com/?p=3547&utm_source=SocialAutoPoster&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Tumblr

Quite a few phishing techniques use phony emails supposedly from the IRS to entice their victims. Phishing is a rip-off in which World wide web criminals mail fraudulent messages to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing personalized and monetary info which they use to steal the target's identification.

The most recent IRS phishing fraud claims taxpayers they will get far more income back again from their refund.

The entire body of the e-mail has text related to this:

"Just after the very last once-a-year calculations of your fiscal exercise, we have decided that you are qualified to acquire a tax refund of $ 109.30,"

This recent phishing assault promises to be from the Interior Earnings Assistance, United States Department of Treasury and even consists of the company's official logo.

David Stewart, an agency spokesman for the Philadelphia IRS business warns computer system customers, "The IRS will by no means send an e mail out to you - Ever".

Some other recent IRS phishing ripoffs involve the following:

May possibly 31, 2007-

The IRS warns taxpayers about an email meant to fool persons into believing they were underneath investigation by the company's Prison Investigation division. This electronic mail is truly a Trojan Horse virus. So, if you get on of these unsolicited IRS email messages, do not open up it or any attachments incorporated and hardly ever give out personalized financial info in an electronic mail from any unsolicited supply.

April 2, 2007-

Online criminals applied phony e-mail to direct shoppers to a World wide web link that asked for particular and fiscal information. These sorts of emails are employed to steal the taxpayer's identification and then their financial belongings. The criminals use this details for anything from functioning up fees to acquiring IRS refunds belonging to the unsuspecting target.

July 19, 2006-

The IRS stories on a phishing email declaring to appear from the "IRS Antifraud Commission" saying anyone has enrolled the taxpayer's credit score card in the IRS '(EFTPS) Electronic Federal Tax Payment Process. This e-mail says there have been fraud makes an attempt associated in the taxpayer's financial institution account and asks recipients to click on on a hyperlink to recuperate the cash. This website link goes to a website requesting particular data these thieves then use to...steal the taxpayer's identification.

The Treasury Department has fielded more than 23,000 complaints about IRS phishing strategies considering that they started off monitoring these ripoffs in 2005. Congressional investigators recently believed that phishing expenses individuals somewhere around $ 1 billion a yr.

If you get what you feel to be a faux email from the IRS forward it to phishing@irs.gov . This will aid the IRS advise shoppers of the newest threats.

The range of these kind of attacks on the Online are escalating at an alarming price and if computer system people weren't slipping for these strategies, the criminals would stop creating revenue and cease employing these methods.

Some strategies to support guard your personal computer from phishing techniques, adware and online fraud are:

1. At the really least you have to have to have a entirely up-to-date, comprehensive antivirus and antispyware plan such as firewall safety, electronic mail defense, prompt information scanning, virus elimination and detection, and adware removing and detection, as very well as quick and welcoming technical support. StopSign's Online Protection Suite involves all of this and far more and can be found at stopsign.com.

2. It is also very important to hardly ever simply click on any back links or open any e-mails or attachments from unknown resources.

3. You need to under no circumstances give out private data over the Net except if you are totally particular you are dealing with a genuine organization business. It is ordinarily most secure to avoid unsolicited components all collectively.

4. Be cautious what you obtain on to your machine. Generally make confident you study the company EULA (Stop Consumer License Arrangement) occasionally also identified as (Conditions of Assistance) and if they don't have 1 at all, be incredibly suspicious. Lots of EULAS contain high-quality print describing a firm data sharing tactics. If it sounds like an invasion of your privacy, do not download the software package.

The IRS is only a person of numerous respectable establishments staying utilised to goal phishing campaigns to laptop customers. Shield yourself and your relatives's own info by working towards secure Internet habits. Don't let the phishers reel you in much too.

Sources:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_522639.html

http://www.irs.gov/index.html

"Reprint Rights"

Resource by Jason Dick

[ecchifortheplot]

no - this did not help

[2290online-blog]

Filing form 2290 online FAQ’s

At eform2290 we are into providing guidance and support to the heavy truck taxpayers. You are already aware of the fact that taxpaying procedure as a whole is quite complex. It involves hefty calculations, an input of various data and many more. We are a one-stop solution to all of these issues. All you need to do is log in with us eform2290.com for further assistance.

FAQs 

Ø  Who is required to file Form 2290 or HVUT?

Any persons who possess heavyweight vehicles like trucks which operate on highways and weigh 55,000 pounds or more have to file Form 2290. These people can be the owner of whose name the vehicle is registered or LLC owners or operators or any other transportation entrepreneur.

Filing IRS Form 2290 has become easier with the evolution of online tax filing. It is safer, simpler and hassle-free. Moreover, you will get experts assistance at every step of filing your return. The perk is these professionals are there to help you 24*7.

Ø  What are 2290 filing options?

There are two ways of filing 2290. These are as follows:

Offline

Online

Filing your return offline often involves plenty of errors. Thus, it ends up in a mess.

On the other hand, online is error-free and secure.

Filing 2290 online is one of the best means. It is easy since it features step by step guidance. Opting for online filing has loads of other facilities as well which are as follows:

o   Highly secure, as it protects all your data with advanced technology

o   Automatically generated Schedule 1 within a minute after filing your return

o   Free update programs to keep you aware of each process via emails, text messages, and fax

o   24*7 customer support

o   VIN correction at no cost

o   Free re-filing

Ø  What should I do if the filing is rejected?

Facing HVUT online rejection is usual. It may happen due to a number of reasons. As soon as you receive the rejected form re-file it. Re-file your rejected IRS form 2290 at eform2290.com. Trust us!! This re-filing will not charge you a penny. Our customer support executives are glad to serve you 24*7. You can also reach us at support@eform2290.com.

 Ø  What are the penalties if I failed to file form 2290?

Oops!! Your 2290 due dates are gone. In such circumstance, you are likely to face some penalty charges for missing your filing 2290 deadlines for the year 2017-2018.

Are your filing date is just a fortnight away?? Why worry?? Pay IRS 2290 online with us eform2290.com. We facilitate payment gateways like EFTPS and Electronic Fund Withdrawal.

Direct Debit or Electronic Fund Withdrawal

Just input all information associated with your account. IRS will deduct the amount from the account.

Electronic Federal Tax Payment System or EFTPS

To list yourself in this category you need to register your details with EFTPS site. The amount will be automatically subtracted from the account within a timeframe of 24-48 hours after putting up the request. However, in case of holidays, the fund debit will be postponed to the next commencing business day.

[christophergill8]

Friday the 13th alert: Beware these 13 tax ID theft scams

If Halloween isn't scary enough for you, this October also has a Friday the 13th, which if you haven't looked at a calendar yet, is today.

And making things even more frightening, the Internal Revenue Service has some terrifying tax scam news.

This week alone, the IRS has issued two warnings about tax-related identity theft schemes.

First was the phishing attempt to hook tax pros by using the agency's e-Services as bait.

Now there's a fake insurance tax form scam that's being used to access annuity and life insurance accounts. The IRS says this criminal scheme also targets tax professionals and their clients.

Fake insurance phishing: There may be variations of the insurance scam, says the IRS, but details below show how one scam version works.

The cybercriminal, impersonating a legitimate cloud-based storage provider, entices a tax professional with a phishing email. The tax professional, thinking they are interacting with the legitimate cloud-based storage provider, provides their email credentials including username and password.

With access to the tax professional's account, the cybercriminal steals client email addresses. The cybercriminal then impersonates the tax professional and sends emails to their clients, attaching a fake IRS insurance form and requesting that the form be completed and returned.

The cybercriminal receives replies by fax and/or by an email very similar to the tax professional's email, using a different email service provider or a slight variation of the tax pro's address.

As for the email itself, the IRS says the subject line varies, but it may be "urgent information" or a similar request.

Here's an example of the awkwardly worded text in the body of the email:

Dear Life Insurance Policy Owner,

Kindly fill the form attached for your Life insurance or Annuity contract details and fax back to us for processing in order to avoid multiple (sic) tax bill (sic).

The cybercriminal, using data from the completed form, impersonates the client and contacts the individual's insurance company. The crook then attempts to obtain a loan or make a withdrawal from those accounts

13 scary tax scams: With this recent rash of identity theft scams, it seems only fitting on this Friday the 13th to review some of criminal efforts that have recently made the rounds. Of course, it numbers 13.

Fake insurance letter email

e-Services phishing scam

Fake charities in the wake of Hurricane Harvey

Phishing scam from crooks impersonating tax software companies

Cons pose as fake IRS agents calling to 'verify' filers' tax return information

Tax telephone scam script rewritten to include mentions of fake IRS certified letters, EFTPS option

Fake CEO phishing tax scam is back

Phishing criminals pose as potential tax clients to infiltrate tax preparers' systems

Tax pros targeted in 'mail on hold' e-services phishing scam

Telephone tax scam targets students with fake 'federal student tax' call

Look out for smishing tax identity thieves

Tax phishing scam artists pretend to be members of Taxpayer Advocacy Panel

Fake IRS agent telephone scam continues despite alleged mastermind's arrest

Fighting off bad tax spirits (and scams): If you get any of these scam or phishing contacts — or new versions that no doubt will soon pop up — the IRS (and I) remind you of three things not to do:

Never give out personal or financial information to unknown, unsolicited callers.

Don't reply to questionable emails from unknown, unsolicited message senders.

Don't click on links or open attachments in suspicious emails.

And here are three things to do if you're ever targeted by a tax identity thief con artist:

Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) to report telephone tax scam calls. Use TIGTA's IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting web page or call toll-free (800) 366-4484.

Report scam attempts to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Use the online FTC Complaint Assistant on FTC.gov.

Send a copies of phishing emails to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

Finally, be skeptical and trust your gut. If something seems off, step back and investigate.

Call the IRS yourself and find out if the message or call you got is correct or a criminal trying to take your info to file a fake return to collect a fraudulent refund.

Remember, tax scams don't die. Like Halloween (and TV and movie) zombies, they just keep coming back in new forms in search of more identity theft victims.

Remember, too, that tax crooks goblins and ID theft ghouls are out there year-round, not just in Halloween's host month of October.

Advertisement

// <![CDATA[ // &lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;gt; // ]]&gt; // ]]>

from Tax News By Christopher http://www.dontmesswithtaxes.com/2017/10/friday-the-13th-alert-dont-fall-for-these-13-tax-scams-id-theft-schemes.html

[crippslaw]

The IRS Dirty Dozen: Phishing

Each year since 2014, the IRS has published a list of the "Dirty Dozen" tax scams.  The 2017 list started being revealed on February 1, with a mainstay of the prior year lists, "Phishing".  No, this is not referring to the Vermont jam band with the drummer that wears a housedress and plays vacuum cleaner solos and fans that enjoy hacky-sack and patchouli.  This "phishing" is an email scam that attempts to steal personal and financial information.  From the IRS:

     Phishing is a scam typically carried out with the help of unsolicited email or a fake website        that poses as a legitimate site to lure in potential victims and prompt them to provide                valuable personal and financial information. Armed with this information, a criminal can              commit identity theft or financial theft.

     If you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization      closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS),                report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.

     It is important to keep in mind the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to        request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic                              communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS has information        online that can help you protect yourself from email scams.

Keep in mind that if you get an email from a foreign "prince" or the US Secretary of State (I got that one this week) offering you millions of dollars, it is fake and delete it.

[williamtruax]

COVID-19 and Other Financial Scams on the Rise

With cybercrime on the rise in the wake of COVID-19, we want to remind taxpayers they should be on alert against tax fraud and other related financial scams. In the last few months alone, the IRS Criminal Investigation division has seen a significant increase in crimes related to Economic Impact Payments (EIP) and other tax-related schemes looking to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers. 

 Don’t Let Your Guard Down

Scams related to COVID-19 are not limited to stealing EIPs from taxpayers. We’ve been seeing creative schemes related to selling fake at-home test kits, offers to sell fake cures, vaccines, pills and advice on unproven treatments for COVID-19. Other scams are aimed at trying to sell large quantities of medical supplies through the creation of fake online stores, social media accounts and email addresses where criminals fail to deliver promised supplies after receiving funds.

Some criminals are even offering opportunities to invest early in companies working on a vaccine for the disease promising that the "company" will dramatically increase in value as a result. These promotions are often presented as "research reports" or make predictions of a specific "target price" related to low-priced stocks issued by small companies with limited publicly available information.

There has also been a tremendous increase in phishing scams utilizing emails, letters, texts and website links aimed at tricking unsuspecting taxpayers into giving up their personal and financial information. These phishing schemes are using keywords such as "Coronavirus," "COVID-19," or "Stimulus Payments" and are being blasted to large numbers of people in an effort to get account numbers and passwords. 

 How to Report a Crime

If you receive an email, letter or phone call that looks suspicious, we recommend calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or opening a case through their web complaint form. The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Department of Justice's Criminal Division dedicated to improving the detection, prevention, investigation and prosecution of criminal conduct related to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies, such as COVID-19. 

Taxpayers can also report phishing attempts directly to the IRS. Those who’ve receive unsolicited emails or social media attempts to gather information that appear to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), should forward it to phishing@irs.gov.

How Does Truax Protect My Information?

Truax goes above and beyond the standard requirements of the FTC regulations to help safeguard your personal and financial information in a variety of ways, each equally important. 

Below are some of the proactive measures we take:

Every member of our team has received training to recognize phishing emails, especially those pretending to be from the IRS, e-Services, tax software companies or cloud storage providers. This includes reviewing all embedded links and attachments for suspicious activity, verifying email addresses came from a trusted and recognized source, and not sharing any information unless it was specifically authorized by our clients. Phishing is the #1 most common method for cybercriminals to steal sensitive data so we take this VERY seriously!

We use a business-class firewall to monitor inbound network traffic for malicious content, block potentially dangerous websites and help prevent hackers from accessing our systems. 

We use the latest anti-malware/anti-virus security software on all devices (laptops, desktops, routers, tablets and phones) and keep software set to automatically update with the latest virus definitions. 

We have no wireless network except through an external ISP hotspot that isn’t connected in any way to our system. In addition, we don’t allow clients to use USB or flash drives on any network device as these can easily contain malicious files/applications the user may not even be aware of. 

We use strong passwords that are updated regularly and encrypt all sensitive files/emails using password protections. 

We backup sensitive data locally and to a secure, encrypted offsite source under our control. These backup strategies are particularly critical in the event of a ransomware attack where the virus spreads throughout an entire network, including local backups. 

We ensure all taxpayer information is deleted from devices, hard drives, USBs (flash drives), printers, tablets or phones before disposing. In addition, we physically destroy all devices or printed documents by crushing or shredding them prior to disposal.

We report ALL suspicious activity immediately to the IRS so they can take the appropriate actions to investigate and apprehend cyber criminals before they do any further harm. 

Finally, we regularly monitor the IRS security briefings, media outlets, tax professional networks and other cyber security resources for the latest information about threats and risks. Whenever possible, Truax shares this information with clients on our blog or via email. 

There are also important steps you can take at home or work to help keep your information safe from cyber criminals. Check out our 7-part Data Security series for more information about what you should be doing to safeguard your data.  

If you have any questions about cybersecurity or how Truax helps keep your personal and financial information secure, please CONTACT US right away. We’re here to help!

[cpapartners]

Phishing Schemes Lead the IRS “Dirty Dozen” List of Tax Scams for 2017; Remain Tax-Time Threat

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers to watch out for fake emails or websites looking to steal personal information. These “phishing” schemes continue to be on the annual IRS list of “Dirty Dozen” tax scams for the 2017 filing season.

The IRS saw a big spike in phishing and malware incidents during the 2016 tax season. New and evolving phishing schemes have already been seen this month as scam artists work to confuse taxpayers during filing season.  

In these email schemes, criminals pose as a person or organization the taxpayer trusts or recognizes. They may hack an email account and send mass emails under another person’s name.  They may pose as a bank, credit card company, tax software provider or government agency. Criminals go to great lengths to create websites that appear legitimate but contain phony log-in pages. These criminals hope victims will take the bait and provide money, passwords, Social Security numbers and other information that can lead to identity theft.

"These email schemes continue to evolve and can fool even the most cautious person. Email messages can look like they come from the IRS or others in the tax community,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Taxpayers should avoid opening surprise emails or clicking on web links claiming to be from the IRS. Don’t be fooled by unexpected emails about big refunds, tax bills or requesting personal information. That’s not how the IRS communicates with taxpayers.”

Scam emails and websites also can infect a taxpayer’s computer with malware without the user knowing it. The malware can give the criminal access to the device, enabling them to access all sensitive files or track keyboard strokes, exposing login information.

If a taxpayer receives an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS or an organization closely linked to the IRS, such as the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.

It is important to keep in mind the IRS generally does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.  

(source: IRS Newswire)

[elizabethcariasa]

6 ways to pay your estimated taxes

Image courtesy 401kCalculator.org via Flickr

Ah, January! A new year, new challenges, new opportunities and old tax tasks.

The Internal Revenue Service doesn't give us much time to settle into a new tax year. In fact, it's right there, barely two weeks in, reminding many of us that we have a major tax obligation from the prior tax year to take care of or else.

I'm talking, of course, about estimated taxes. These four extra tax payments are made by folks who get income that doesn't have income taxes withheld. If you don't pay, or don't pay on time, you'll end up owing penalties, too.

I mentioned estimated taxes last week in my 4 tax moves to make in January, but it's worth another reminder now.

Final ES payment deadline near: Your final tax year 2017 estimated tax payment is due Jan. 16.

The due date generally is the 15th of the four estimated tax months — a table with those dates is in my earlier post — but that date falls this year on this coming Monday, which is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday.

That means the final estimated tax deadline gets pushed to the next business day, Tuesday, Jan. 16.

You know you have to pay that final amount. You know when it's due. You've calculated how much to pay.

Now you just have to do it. Here are the many ways the U.S. Treasury will take your estimated tax money.

1. Pay Online The IRS offers a variety of electronic payment options and it encourages us — yes, the use of this pronoun is deliberate; I'm a 1040-ES filer, too — to find and use the one that's right for us.

The agency promotes e-payments as secure and convenient. It also makes things easier for the IRS, too, since it doesn't have to mess with clearing paper checks.

You can find more details on sending in your taxes electronically at the IRS' special payments page. But here's a quick preview:

Direct Pay allows online transfers directly from your checking or savings account at no cost to you.

Pay by Card lets you pay by debit or credit card. In these cases, a service fee is charged by the payment processors. (More on these vendors in a minute.)

Electronic Fund Withdrawal (EFW) is an integrated e-file/e-pay option offered when you file your federal tax return electronically by using commercial tax preparation software, including via Free File, or hire a tax pro to prepare and e-file your return.

Online Payment Agreements are available if you cannot pay your tax bill in full by the April filing deadline. You can apply for an online monthly installment agreement at the IRS website. Once you complete the online application, you'll receive immediate notification of whether your agreement has been approved. A user fee is charged.

IRS2Go is the IRS' mobile app with which you can access Direct Pay or Pay by Card.

2. Use EFTPS Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) is an e-payment option created by U.S. Treasury. You tell EFTPS how much you want to pay for what tax purpose and when you want the money sent directly from your bank account to Uncle Sam.

This is my preferred electronic tax payment method. I like it partly because it's free, partly because I can set-and-forget estimated payments and mostly because it's been around a while, well before other online options. It debuted in 1996 and I signed up for it not long after that. Yes, I'm a tax geezer!

To use EFTPS (pronounced eff-tips in case you want to tax name drop), you must enroll. You can do that either online or have an enrollment form mailed to you.

Note that this takes about a week. So you might not be able to get this set up by next week's 1040-ES deadline. But once you're in the system, you can schedule all your estimated tax payments for the full year. Then all you have to do is remember to have enough money in your paying account to cover the quarterly payments.

3. Pay by Phone Remember those? Guess what? That digital device you use to text, post crazily filtered Instagram photos and web surf probably can call, too. Check it out.

Seriously, though, if you aren't comfortable going online to pay your taxes, just phone it in. You can call one of the debit or credit card processors OK'ed by the IRS or call EFTPS.

You can call one of the IRS-approved debit or credit card service providers or use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) phone payment option.

The three debit or credit card payment vendors are:

WorldPay US, Inc. 1-844-729-8298 (1-844-PAY-TAX-8TM)   

Official Payments 1-888-UPAY-TAXTM (1-888-872-9829)   

Link2Gov Corporation 1-888-PAY-1040TM (1-888-729-1040) 

Remember, each vendor charges a fee that varies by provider, card type and payment amount.

If you've signed up for EFTPS and want to pay by phone rather than online, call the system's toll-free tax payment number (800) 555-3453. It's available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

But before you punch in the number, gather your information, including your EIN if you're making a business payment or your Social Security number if paying as an individual taxpayer and the EFTPS PIN you got in the mail.

Also know which tax form number is associated with your payment. For individual filer estimated payments, you choose the 1040 series.

Then just follow the voice prompts to make your telephonic tax payment.

You can cut it close with EFTPS. Payments can be made by 8 p.m. Eastern Time the day before the tax due date. I'm as big a tax procrastinator as anybody, but I don't recommend cutting it this close.

4. Go Mobile Now about that mobile device that you don't use as phone. Use it to pay your tax bill, including estimated tax amounts, by downloading the IRS2Go app.

5. Snail Mail a Check or Money Order Some folks still like paper payments. I've done this when I didn't schedule a payment for whatever reason. OK, the reason was I had to transfer money to my checking account to pay my tax bill.

In that case, mailing your tax payment has an advantage. You meet your estimated tax obligation by simply getting the payment in the mail in time to get it postmarked by the due date. Just like when send in your annual tax return, the postmark counts as timely filing.

The day or so it takes the voucher and check to get to the IRS should give your bank time to clear the transfer so that your check won't bounce.

If you opt for old-school mailing, you'll need to download the estimated payment voucher (shown below) from the IRS website.

There is a separate estimated tax payment voucher for each due date, shown in the upper right corner. If you and your spouse plan to file separate returns, file separate vouchers instead of a joint voucher.

Make your check or money order payable to "United States Treasury," not the IRS. Write "2017 Form 1040-ES" and your Social Security number on your check or money order. If you are filing a joint estimated tax payment voucher, enter the tax identification number that you'll enter first on your joint return.

Enclose, but do not staple or attach, your payment with the estimated tax payment voucher. And check the mailing addresses, based by your state of residence, at the back of the 1040-ES form to find the correct address to which to mail your payment.

And do not mail cash.

6. Pay in Cash You can, however, pay in cash thanks to a relatively new in-person payment option. The IRS teamed up with Official Payments and PayNearMe in 2016 to create this option.

Basically, you can head to a nearby participating brick-and-mortar retail partner — which happen to be select 7-Eleven stores in 34 states — and make a maximum $1,000 per day tax transaction.

Use PayNearMe's online search tool to see if there's a location near you.

Found one. Nice. But don't head out so fast to your local 7-Eleven to pick up a Slurpee and pay your taxes.

Before you can send the IRS a cash payment, you first must register online at Official Payments and Official Payments only. It's the sole IRS-approved payment provider tapped to handle cash tax payments.

In addition to the time it takes to do that, note that it usually takes two business days for your payment to post to your account. So be sure to make your payment in plenty of time before your due date to avoid interest and penalties.

And, of course, there is a fee. Official Payments collects $3.99 per payment regardless of amount paid.

Wow. The IRS certainly is doing its job when comes to ways to collect our tax money. All of these options give us plenty of choices in paying our estimated tax amounts.

Now we just have to choose! And do so by Jan. 16.

You also might find these items of interest:

The scoop on paying estimated taxes

3 ways to navigate estimated tax penalty safe harbors

Amounts you'll need to calculate your estimated tax payments

Advertisement

// <![CDATA[ // &lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;gt; // ]]&gt; // ]]>

[ecchifortheplot]

wait a second...

the Mangaka of “Jahy-Sama”,  “ Sekai de Ichiban Oppai ga Suki!” and “Saikin Yatotta Maid ga Ayashii” is a girl? I never knew!

[ecchifortheplot]

@carnival-phantasm​ well in germany you need a prescription from your doctor for almost all antibiotics ... so if thats medicine your doctor recommends and they give you a prescription it’s “gg ez” (maybe you need to pay like 10 bucks extra)

@people from first-world countries: how easily available is vancomycin in public healthcare?

[ecchifortheplot]

“Hey Ecchi are you watching that new show with the gay gir-”  “YOU BET YOUR FUCKING ASS I AM!”