Information Release
Immediate Release
January 15, 2009
Business / Financial News / Personal Finance / Consume!r Interest
Franklin Katz, ATP, PA, PB
Frank’s Tax and Business Service
120 York Rd
Kings Mountain, NC 28086-3151
(704) 739-4039
Fax: (704) 739-3934
National Assoication of Tax Professionals
Char De Coster, 800.558.3402, ext. 1172; [email protected].
Have You Received E-Mail From Uncle Sam?
Read This BEFORE Responding!
National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) Appleton, WI,- "You are being investigated for tax fraud." An e-mail message to that effect would get most of our attention. However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued an urgent warning to taxpayers about fraudulent attempts to gain personal information through e-mail contacts. THE IRS DOES NOT USE E-MAIL TO CONTACT TAXPA YERS so do not reply to or click on links within these solicitations.
If the IRS makes contact with taxpayers about issues pertaining to questions on their federal tax returns, it does so through letters on IRS stationery and in IRS envelopes. E-mail attempts, though they look, and perhaps even sound legitimate, are not.
The bogus e-mails found so far claim the taxpayer is under investigation for tax fraud and subject to prosecution; then they provide a link to click on to provide "helpful" information for the investigation. The message asks the taxpayer for personal information.
These solicitations are coming from unscrupulous people who are looking to steal identities and use that information to obtain and/or charge to credit cards, to take out loans, to take over financial accounts, and/or for other abuses where the taxpayer suffers loss. As any victim of identity theft can tell you, identity thieves are quick to begin accumulating their own wealth at innocent victims' expense, and it can damage the victim for many years.
The IRS strongly warns consumers not to respond to such fraudulent e-mails. If you have a question, call the IRS before responding (800.829.1040). Though the IRS has requested that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) shut down the provider that was hosting the fraudulent website, in many cases new versions of scam sites quickly repopulate in different places and by time they are discovered and shut down, it is often too late for some consumers who have already fallen victim.
If you have received one of these suspicious e-mail messages, you are advised to call TIGTA's tollfree fraud referral hotline at 800.336.4484 AND the IRS at 800.829.1040. You can also call your tax preparer for assistance. For more information on identity theft and other fraud, go to
Selecting the right tax professional will save you time, headaches, and often times money. To find a professional tax preparer, look to the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP). NATP maintains a listing of professionals in your area at [http://www.taxprofessionals.com\.]
Franklin Katz, ATP, PA, PB
Frank’s Tax and Business Service
120 York Rd
Kings Mountain, NC 28086-3151
(704) 739-4039
Fax: (704) 739-3934
Members of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NA TP) strive to assist taxpayers with information and knowledge. NA TP is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1979 and is committed to excellence in the tax profession. Our national headquarters is located in Appleton and employs 41 professionals and 25 instructors. NATP exists to serve professionals who work in all areas of tax practice and has more than 16,500 members nationwide. Members include individual practitioners, enrolled agents, certified public accountants, accountants, attorneys, and certified financial planners. Learn more at [url=http://www.natptax.com]National Association of Tax Professionals.
# # # end # # #
Immediate Release
January 15, 2009
Business / Financial News / Personal Finance / Consume!r Interest
Franklin Katz, ATP, PA, PB
Frank’s Tax and Business Service
120 York Rd
Kings Mountain, NC 28086-3151
(704) 739-4039
Fax: (704) 739-3934
National Assoication of Tax Professionals
Char De Coster, 800.558.3402, ext. 1172; [email protected].
Have You Received E-Mail From Uncle Sam?
Read This BEFORE Responding!
National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) Appleton, WI,- "You are being investigated for tax fraud." An e-mail message to that effect would get most of our attention. However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued an urgent warning to taxpayers about fraudulent attempts to gain personal information through e-mail contacts. THE IRS DOES NOT USE E-MAIL TO CONTACT TAXPA YERS so do not reply to or click on links within these solicitations.
If the IRS makes contact with taxpayers about issues pertaining to questions on their federal tax returns, it does so through letters on IRS stationery and in IRS envelopes. E-mail attempts, though they look, and perhaps even sound legitimate, are not.
The bogus e-mails found so far claim the taxpayer is under investigation for tax fraud and subject to prosecution; then they provide a link to click on to provide "helpful" information for the investigation. The message asks the taxpayer for personal information.
These solicitations are coming from unscrupulous people who are looking to steal identities and use that information to obtain and/or charge to credit cards, to take out loans, to take over financial accounts, and/or for other abuses where the taxpayer suffers loss. As any victim of identity theft can tell you, identity thieves are quick to begin accumulating their own wealth at innocent victims' expense, and it can damage the victim for many years.
The IRS strongly warns consumers not to respond to such fraudulent e-mails. If you have a question, call the IRS before responding (800.829.1040). Though the IRS has requested that the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) shut down the provider that was hosting the fraudulent website, in many cases new versions of scam sites quickly repopulate in different places and by time they are discovered and shut down, it is often too late for some consumers who have already fallen victim.
If you have received one of these suspicious e-mail messages, you are advised to call TIGTA's tollfree fraud referral hotline at 800.336.4484 AND the IRS at 800.829.1040. You can also call your tax preparer for assistance. For more information on identity theft and other fraud, go to
Selecting the right tax professional will save you time, headaches, and often times money. To find a professional tax preparer, look to the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP). NATP maintains a listing of professionals in your area at [http://www.taxprofessionals.com\.]
Franklin Katz, ATP, PA, PB
Frank’s Tax and Business Service
120 York Rd
Kings Mountain, NC 28086-3151
(704) 739-4039
Fax: (704) 739-3934
Members of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NA TP) strive to assist taxpayers with information and knowledge. NA TP is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1979 and is committed to excellence in the tax profession. Our national headquarters is located in Appleton and employs 41 professionals and 25 instructors. NATP exists to serve professionals who work in all areas of tax practice and has more than 16,500 members nationwide. Members include individual practitioners, enrolled agents, certified public accountants, accountants, attorneys, and certified financial planners. Learn more at [url=http://www.natptax.com]National Association of Tax Professionals.
# # # end # # #