IRS ANNOUNCES THE DIRTY DOZEN: TAX SCAMS TO BE AWARE OF IN 2025
The Internal Revenue Service shared a list of 12 common schemes that could threaten taxpayers, businesses, and tax professionals during this tax season.
From misleading tax credits to text and email schemes, fraudsters have many ways to trick taxpayers into giving out their money and personal information. The list includes the following common threats:
- EMAIL OR TEXT PHISHING: Do not open links of unsolicited messages claiming to be from the IRS or other organizations.
- SOCIAL MEDIA ADVICE: Question tax advice on social media platforms. A lot of this content is misleading and inaccurate. Trust only reliable and official sources.
- IRS INDIVIDUAL ONLINE ACCOUNT HELP: Scammers are claiming to be third parties that can help with a taxpayer’s Individual Online Account at IRS.gov. No official entity should offer this as no help is needed. The IRS offers tips on how to sign up and avoid scams.
- FAKE CHARITIES: Swindlers are creating fake charitable organizations to take advantage of the public’s generosity.
- FALSE FUEL TAX CREDIT CLAIMS: Only off-highway and farming businesses are eligible for this credit. Make sure you’re not deceived to erroneously claim it.
- CREDITS FOR SICK LEAVE AND FAMILY LEAVE: Only self-employed individuals for 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic are eligible for this credit.
- BOGUS SELF-EMPLOYMENT TAX CREDIT: Taxpayers are using misleading information from social media to claim a non-existent “Self-Employment Tax Credit”. IRS is closely reviewing non-eligible and false claims coming in under this provision.
- IMPROPER HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYMENT TAXES: Some taxpayers are claiming a refund on sick leave or family medical leave they “paid” to fictional household employees.
- THE OVERSTATED WITHHOLDING SCAM: Social media is also encouraging people to exaggerate income or withhold information on tax forms in hopes of getting a bigger return.
- MISLEADING OFFERS IN COMPROMISE: “Mills” are misleading people into signing up for the OIC program which helps people settle their tax debt if they can’t pay it in full. Check your eligibility to avoid falling into the scam.
- GHOST TAX RETURN PREPARERS: Watch for warning signs of shady tax preparers. Don’t pay a fee based on the size of your refund. Never sign a return without a PTIN or the signature of your preparer. Always turn to a trusted tax professional.
- NEW CLIENT SCAMS AND SPEAR PHISHING: Tax professionals are also a target. Scammers impersonate new potential clients and include malicious attachments in correspondence to steal sensitive information. Warning signs include poorly constructed sentences or unusual word choices.
Official IRS guidance can be found at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-tax-scams-for-2025-irs-warns-taxpayers-to-watch-out-for-dangerous-threats
If you feel as though you have been a victim to any of these scams, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office at (404) 365-5682.
