Georgia tax deadline extended; How to avoid scammers
Georgia taxes due May 1, not April 15
Did you know Georgia Individual Income Tax returns are due May 1, not April 15 this year? The deadline was extended due to Hurricane Helene. Here's what you need to know about Tax Day and how to avoid scams.
The deadline to file taxes in Georgia is coming up quickly. Scammers are hoping the added pressure will make you more vulnerable.
What they're saying:
Jon Powell is a CPA and partner at Atlanta accounting firm Moore Colson
He says there are a lot of ways scammers can try to use tax filing to get to swindle people out of their hard-earned money.
One of the most common ways is to text, email or call their victims claiming that they're from the IRS.
They may offer an easy way to file, and then threaten you by saying if you don't use their link you'll be punished. Or, if you've already filed, they'll tell you your return is ready, and send you a bad link to view it.
The cybersecurity expert says to remember that the IRS will never send a link via email or text.
If they call, they'll never demand anything from you or threaten you.
The best thing to do if you feel something may be fishy is to go directly to the source.
"If I get a text from the IRS, right, I'm going to the IRS.gov. I'm going to look and see if there's a form reference that I can look up, and I'm just going to call them and be like, ‘Hey, I got a notice. Is this really you?’" Powell explained. "And they're to go, ‘No, it was not us, because we would contact you via the U.S. mail, via letter, and we would have given you a notice number.’"
Dig deeper:
Powell said another common scam involves fraudsters using your data to impersonate you, filing a tax return, and collecting the refund for themselves.
"Yeah, that one to me is the most frightening," Powell said.
He says there are ways you can try to protect against that.
"Create an account on irs.gov, and they will connect you to an ability to verify yourself," Powell said.
That way you’ll be alerted if anyone else is trying to file a return under your name.
He says another pitfall can be getting your tax advice from social media, which may also make you vulnerable to scams.
"I hate to say it, but in the world we live in, just assume [advice on social media] is not 100% or even 50% accurate," he said.
The IRS is also warning about "ghost" tax prepares - those who prepare a return for you only to steal your personal information. Powell said always make sure they sign the return they prepare for you.
"If you have someone prepare it, they need to sign it as well. Ghost preparers - they don't sign the returns that they prepare," he said.
What you can do:
If you haven't received a letter from the IRS, chances are that any communication via text or email is fraudulent.
What's important to note is that when you're calling to verify, do not use the number that called or texted you. Look up the verified number of the IRS on their government website.
Never click any of the links sent to you.
Remember, thanks to Hurricane Helene, Georgia residents have until May 1 to file taxes, not April 15. Read more about the extension.
The Source: This information has been confirmed by tax experts interviewed by FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Eric Mock. Supporting documentation was found on IRS.gov.