It's Tax Time Again!

When I was a mere lad, I thought retirement meant no more dentist visits (how wrong I was), no more taxes (wrong again), a front porch with twin rocking chairs (wrong again). And I could go on but I won't.

Right now (mid February) I am back into taxes again. Complicated, confusing, demoralizing, and compared to my younger days, more demanding. After all, being an octogenarian ought to allow some slack. But no, taxes are more complicated than ever. On top of all this grumbling, I read that there are over 1,000 IRS tax scams out there. Beware.

Some look like they have come from Uncle Sam. Don't let these scams fool you. The IRS and its equivalent buddies in cities, counties, and states are indeed quite discreet. However, there are rare times when the IRS (or its equivalent) will argue that you paid too much but usually its the other way around. Once I did argue taxes with the IRS and lost (it actually insisted I had overpaid). Aside from this, April 15th always exists (perhaps it's a good thing its not the 13th as we have a way of getting rid of the 13th floor etc.). But April 15th will not go away. Not yet anyway.

This year, however, scam artists are already gearing up. They will contact you with offers to help you prepare your taxes, guaranteeing you a better return than you imagined. They will also help you deposit your return and help expedite the anti-recession tax rebate (the $170 billion stimulus package) you might be slated to receive. How then should you be on the lookout?

Look for those who sound too good to be true. Look for those who ask for your Social Security and bank account numbers. The IRS will never ask for this by phone or email. Look out for mail that looks like it is genuinely from the IRS with a line that may read "Tax notification" or " 2007 refund." Scammers may entice you with an earlier return or offer you money for taking a survey. In this survey they hope to secure vital information they can use to swindle you.

Above all, don't click on anything in these emails. If you want to get in touch with the IRS or other legitimate concern, get the address and type it into your browser yourself. In fact, unless you are positive of the legitimacy of an email (even from a friend or relative), it is best not to click on anything. Even if not a scam, it could disseminate your address to multiple spammers and you could get more spam than you would ever want. And look out for phony tax forms. Last year, IRS form W-9 was legitimate but IRS W-9095 was not. Nor was W-8888, etc.

The watchword: Always Be Skeptical. But isn't that contrary to a decent way of living? In a way, yes. Living daily as a skeptic is not recommended. However, in certain areas of life, skepticism is more than a necessary evil, it is a necessary affiliate. Scammers are prolific swindlers; they have no respect for gender or age. In fact, some seniors pay more in taxes as retirees than they did while raising a family thanks to savings, pensions, social security and profitable investments. This makes them even more fair game for charlatans of every imaginable type.

Of many sources for information on scams, let me suggest one which may overwhelm you with its long list. Yes, feel secure in clicking on the URLs: http://www.scambusters.org/backissues.html. You could also check out Snopes.com and vmyths.com/.This will help you understand the magnitude of scams and scammers which include Identity Theft, Phishing, Tax Fraud, spreading viruses and the like. The list is endless it seems because it is.

Then there are the often misguided promises if you will forward this email to 10 more or less addressees, you will be blessed or rewarded. Use good judgment before embarking on this adventure lest it be fallacious or irrelevant. Believe it or not, there are many out there who have little or no conscience, hell-bent on separating you from your possessions. In addition, regrettably they often do manage to keep a step or two ahead of their opposition. And that is not good news.

PS Don't let this tax season give you a senior moment you will regret.