The IRS has reported an approximate 400% surge in phishing and malware incidents so far this tax season. The emails are intended to trick taxpayers into thinking these are official communications from the IRS or others in the tax industry, including tax software companies. The phishing schemes ask taxpayers for a wide range of information related to refunds, filing status, confirming personal information, ordering transcripts and verifying PIN information.

Variations of these scams can be seen via text messages, and the communications are being reported in every section of the country.

It is important to keep in mind the IRS generally does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS has information online that can help protect taxpayers from email scams.

If you receive an unsolicited email that appears to be from either the IRS e-services portal or an organization closely linked to the IRS, report it by sending it to phishing@irs.gov.  Learn more by going to the Report Phishing and Online Scams page.

For more information and additional ways to spot scams, read the full IRS statement here.

For any questions regarding this information, please contact our offices at 703.385.8888 or tgcinfo@tgccpa.com.