The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit uncovered more than $9.1 billion in tax fraud and financial crime cases in 2024, according to its Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report. That figure doesn’t include cases where taxpayers were scammed but didn’t report it.

Preparing your tax return and paying your tax bill is challenging enough but nowadays, you also need to be vigilant about scammers.

“There are a number of important steps you can take to ensure that your information is safe and protected and that you’re receiving legitimate emails, letters, or phone calls from authorized agencies,” says Chip Capelli, a professional accountant located in Provincetown, Massachusetts where he sits on the town’s Finance Committee. He’s additionally certified by Intuit as a Platinum Level ProAdvisor for QuickBooks.

The Dirty Dozen

The IRS calls them the “Dirty Dozen,” a variety of scams that are most common in a given year and that taxpayers might encounter in 2025. The scams tend to peak during tax-filing season. The agency provides a list on its website that itemizes them, complete with additional links you can use to learn more. Some are more prevalent than others.

Common Attacks

One of the most common tactics scammers use is pretending to be from the IRS.  You might get an alarming message claiming there’s an issue with your tax return, and that you now owe a much larger amount than you thought. They may even threaten arrest if you don’t pay immediately.

The flip side is a notification that your return has been processed and you’re due a larger tax refund. They’ll ask you to provide your bank details to deposit the refund directly. But, once they have your information, they’ll likely steal your refund, leaving the IRS to investigate the fraudulent claim and freeze your legitimate refund while it investigates.

Some scammers will pose as companies or services that can help you resolve a fictitious or real tax liability and reduce what you owe. Of course, they’ll want you to pay them for their assistance.

“A golden rule: When in doubt, take your time,” Capelli says. “Scammers will often pressure, threaten, or demand a way to get your information quickly. Always take time to research, verify, and ensure that you’re not being targeted. Don’t hesitate to reach out to trusted contacts and professionals who can help you.”

Ghost Preparers

Phantom tax professionals are another prevalent scam, according to the IRS. The agency calls them “ghost preparers.” They’ll contact you out of the blue, perhaps telling you they can ensure you receive a certain tax credit for which you don’t legitimately qualify.

The IRS offers a few clues that you may be dealing with one of these scammers. They might offer to tweak your financial information so you can qualify, assuring you that the practice is perfectly legal and that it’s done all the time.

Red flags include:

• The preparer refuses to sign your tax return.
• They insist on payment in cash (especially if you’re not getting a large refund).
• They promise unrealistic refunds or tax breaks.

However, the IRS won’t honor any claim they file for you. In the worst case, you could find yourself in hot water for attempting to cheat the system.

The not-signing issue is a major alert, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS).

Protect Yourself

Knowing what to watch for and identifying red flags are important steps to take to protect yourself against tax scams.

• Be cautious online: The internet is not your friend. Your professional tax preparer knows this and will take steps to protect you by using password protection and encryption tools to receive communications.
• Use anti-phishing software: Install this on your devices for extra protection against scammers trying to steal your information through fraudulent websites. Receiving an email or text message that provides a phantom website link is a common trick, but scammers will also use snail mail, faxes, social media, or even call you. The wording of the copy or the sender’s address may be strange or silly, and you might notice some misspellings and/or grammatical errors.
• Check the website link: Don’t click on anything, particularly if a provided link address isn’t clearly that of the IRS. The agency provides some guidance on how to be sure it’s them. Look for “irs.gov” in the URL.
• Assign yourself an Identity Protection PIN: The PIN will prevent anyone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), which helps the IRS confirm your identity.
• Be wary of ghost preparers: A tax professional will never offer to prepare your tax return based on a paystub rather than an official document like Form W-2.

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

You can take additional steps if you’ve already fallen victim to a scammer or someone has tried to scam you. The IRS dedicates a page on its website with contact information to guide you to the right department, depending on the fraudulent activity you want to report.

An additional bit of bad news is that you’ll probably have to file an amended tax return to correct whatever the fraudster did to you.

The Bottom Line

You’re not in this alone. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel prompted the creation of the Coalition Against Scam and Scheme Threats (CASST), a task force that’s designed to “combat the growth of scams and schemes threatening taxpayers and tax systems.” It’s a coalition of the IRS, tax associations, state tax agencies, and the U.S. tax industry.

The CASST coalition includes numerous well-known names, including the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights, the National Association of Tax Professionals, Intuit TurboTax, H&R Block, and Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.

For further details on common scams, visit the IRS Dirty Dozen website for a comprehensive list of threats to taxpayers.