If your identity is stolen, your finances can quickly become a nightmare. A less obvious problem is the effect identity theft can have on your taxes.
Identity Theft
Generally, thieves steal your personal data for the purpose of running up credit card charges or opening and abusing new accounts. A developing trend in the identity theft field concerns schemes impacting your taxes.
Selling Social Security Numbers
Identity thieves have created a new line of business ? selling your social security number. Who would want to buy it? The list is surprising long, but undocumented workers, individuals with bad credit and people trying to obtain a new identity lead the list. This can create a huge problem for you since any income paid to those individuals is reported to the IRS as being paid to you. This results in the IRS having inflated income numbers and, often, audits when you "under report" your income.
With the creation of the Real ID Act, better known as the National ID Card, things will only get worse. Under the Act, all workers will be required to submit social security numbers to obtain jobs. With our leaky borders, there will be a high demand for your social security number.
False Tax Filings
It doesn't take much to file a tax return. What's to stop an identity thief from filing one under your name to generate a refund? Nothing. To generate the maximum refund, you can be all kinds of frivolous deductions will be claimed. After all, it will be you that has to attend the audit.
What Can I Do?
If you receive a notice from the IRS that leads you to believe someone may have used your Social Security Number fraudulently, you should notify the IRS immediately. Indicators can be found in notices from the IRS that state:
1. More than one tax return for you was filed, or
2. IRS records indicate you received wages from an employer unknown to you.
Don't hesitate or be nervous about contacting the IRS. The agency knows this is a growing problem and not an "opportunity" to pound on taxpayers.
Richard Chapo is CEO of http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com - Obtaining tax refunds for small businesses by finding overlooked tax deductions and credits through a free tax return review.
affordable house cleaning Park Ridge ..The federal tax code is complex. This complexity generally arises... Read More
Employers often ask employees to designate the amount of tax... Read More
"Depreciation." For business owners, this word is the one most... Read More
Choosing the right tax preparer for your business is a... Read More
Does your incorporated business pay alternative minimum tax ["AMT]? If... Read More
It's a moment every person dreads. You pick up the... Read More
As your business grows, you are going to need help.... Read More
Someone once remarked, "Next to being shot at and missed,... Read More
Newlyweds and the recently divorced should make sure that names... Read More
The Internal Revenue Service is reporting that the difference between... Read More
To tax or not to tax - this question could... Read More
Import duties continue to be significant elements in the cost... Read More
As a small business owner or self-employed person, one of... Read More
"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." ... Read More
In the rush to get tax returns prepared and filed... Read More
For many business owners the answer to this quandary is... Read More
As teachers and students head back to school following a... Read More
Donating your used car to charity is a win-win situation;... Read More
As a gentleman was leaving my class recently, he wanted... Read More
In the largest criminal tax case ever filed, KMPG has... Read More
Deducting Your Auto ExpensesAuto deductions are a very complex topic.... Read More
It's a major fear for most Americans: A notice from... Read More
Excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age... Read More
You've been feeling uneasy (perhaps even guilty) because you've failed... Read More
Background issues of access to recordsTo assess the records at... Read More
affordable house cleaning Mundelein ..According to the IRS, taxpayers underpay their taxes by some... Read More
Anyone who is closely related to an accountant knows that... Read More
Tilting the Tax Laws in Your Favor.In order to accelerate... Read More
Beware of advertisements that claim to settle tax debts for... Read More
Background issues of access to recordsTo assess the records at... Read More
Taxpayers have two easy and convenient options for getting copies... Read More
Most people look forward to getting their tax return, but... Read More
The Internal Revenue Service has certified the 2006 Toyota Highlander... Read More
As a gentleman was leaving my class recently, he wanted... Read More
QUESTION: I have been contacted by my local city... Read More
Hit a big one? With more and more gambling establishments,... Read More
Over 50% of marriages end in divorce in the United... Read More
Q: I was contacted by the city tax collector to... Read More
You're at your office, or home, and the doorbell rings... Read More
If you are environmentally conscious and purchase a 2005 Ford... Read More
In a past article I relayed the plight of the... Read More
April 15th looms in front of most people every year... Read More
Let's assume that you would like to begin saving for... Read More
As your business grows, you are going to need help.... Read More
Media reporting of a new EU savings tax directive has... Read More
Many Americans believe that an IRS debt is a debt... Read More
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, also called the Public Company Accounting Reform... Read More
In the rush to get tax returns prepared and filed... Read More
We all love to criticize the IRS, don't we? And... Read More
As we enter mid-March, taxpayers begin to become very interested... Read More
Tax |