IRS warning: Don’t be a victim of ‘ghost’ tax return preparers

Internal Revenue Service press release ------ The Internal Revenue Service is cautioning taxpayers to avoid the dangers of “ghost” tax return preparers. According to the IRS, a ghost preparer is paid to prepare a tax return, but does not sign it, either electronically or on paper, as the paid preparer. These phantom preparers who won't put their name on the tax return are a warning sign for taxpayers of a potential scam. Here's how it works. The ghost preparer can print the paper return for their client and tells them to sign and mail it to the IRS. Or, for electronically-filed returns, they will prepare it but won’t digitally sign it as the paid preparer. By doing so, the tax return appears to be self-prepared, with no indication that a paid tax preparer was used in completing the tax return -- helping keep the return preparer under the radar. To learn more click on the picture below to read the release.