IRS issues warning about potential fraud; tipoff is threat of jail time

The increase in fraudulent activity led the Office of State Tax Commissioner to institute additional preventative measures, which have been modified and implemented for the 2016 tax season. With the Free File Alliance, if you make $62K or less, you can e-file your taxes for free with more than a dozen brand name tax software programs available at no cost.

Agents say the callers fraudulently claim to be with the IRS and demand that taxpayers immediately send them payment.

October 17 is the final deadline to file a 2015 individual tax return if you previously filed for an extension. First, will you file your own taxes or let someone else do it for you?

There are benefits to filing your tax returns earlier instead of waiting until the last minute. Recently released IRS numbers indicate that 7.9 million households paid fines averaging $210 apiece on their tax returns for 2014. Taxpayers who cannot meet the April 18 tax filing deadline can also use Free File to file a six-month extension.

Taxpayers will have a few extra days to file their returns this year. That is the day Washington, D.C, observes Emancipation Day (normally celebrated on April 16), leading tax day to be pushed to the next business day.

According to WebMD, tax-time stress can stem from several things: accountants work a lot more during tax season, citizens hate paying the government, people are overwhelmed by all the paperwork they need to organize, and more. Assistance is provided by IRS-certified volunteers who provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. In March of past year, 366,000 people had been called by scammers. Since 2003, more than 46m taxpayers have used Free File, saving almost USD1.4bn (based on a conservative USD30-fee estimate).

The IRS also says this filing season should be easier, both for it and taxpayers. Some documents include Form W-2 from employers, Form 1099 from banks and other payers, Form 1095-A from the Health Insurance Marketplace for those claiming the premium tax credit.

Where can I get printed copies of IRS forms? Log on to IRS.gov and click on the filing tab to examine your options and to determine if you qualify.

Most free tax preparation sites are open February 1 – April 15. And if you choose to do it yourself, will you e-file or mail the paperwork. Free File is available for federal returns and some state returns. “The IRS would never make a telephone call like that”. Nine out of 10 taxpayers will receive their refunds within 21 days.