February 2026 – Be Aware of Tax Scams

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February 2026 – Be Aware of Tax Scams

BE AWARE OF TAX SCAMS

As tax scams have continued to evolve, we wanted to reach out to you with a few guidelines for distinguishing between legitimate IRS correspondence and scams.  Unfortunately, tax scams often increase during this time of year. As a result, personal information has been compromised, and millions of dollars have been lost by individuals who have fallen victim to these scams

Common scams include emails and phone calls impersonating the IRS. These scams often are phishing for sensitive personal information, either directly or by infecting computers with malware. Scammers have even created websites that resemble that of the IRS to solicit sensitive information from taxpayers.

Other scammers have turned to threats, warning of serious action if immediate payment is not made. Common threats include tax liens on your property, revoking your driver’s license, or even arrest.

Please note that the IRS will rarely threaten these serious consequences on initial contact.

IRS “Dirty Dozen”

Each year, the IRS publishes a list of common scams called the “IRS Dirty Dozen” to help raise awareness and warn taxpayers about common scams. For 2025, this list included scams from suspicious and harmful communications as well as bad social media advice.

The suspicious and harmful communications included reports of continued large quantities of email and text scams. A majority of these scams are scammers claiming to be from the IRS to trick individuals into providing sensitive personal information that can lead to the victim’s monetary and identity theft. Rule of thumb: If you are surprised or scared by a call, text, or email, it could be a scam.

The bad social media advice was reported on TikTok and other social media platforms. Individuals are offering recommendations to well-meaning taxpayers to submit false, inaccurate information on both common and obscure forms in order to receive a refund. The IRS also listed several other, more specific, fraudulent credit claims and improper reporting schemes. The IRS recommends taking tax advice directly from the IRS website or from a trusted tax professional. The IRS also encourages taxpayers to report abusive tax return schemes or preparers using Form 14242. Rule of thumb: Verify everything through a trusted website such as IRS.gov.

How to Tell the Difference

The primary form of communication from the IRS is through the United States Postal Service. The IRS will never do the following when contacting you:

  • The IRS will not email you.
  • The IRS will not text you.
  • The IRS will not request personal information through social media or other online platforms.

How to Respond

If you receive a suspicious IRS-related email, there are several actions you can take to avoid falling victim to the scam:

  • Do not reply to the email.
  • Do not open any attachments in the email or click on any links.
  • Delete the original email.

If you receive a suspicious IRS-related phone call, there are similar actions you can take:

  • Ask for the caller’s IRS badge number and name. If they cannot provide this, it is likely a scam.
  • Regardless of a badge number, do not provide any information. Hang up.

Please feel free to call us with any questions or concerns regarding suspicious calls or emails you receive.

How to View Your Information & Stay in Touch

The best way to stay updated regarding IRS news is through the IRS’s official social media accounts or email subscriptions.

  • The IRS’s social media platforms include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. While the IRS will not contact youthrough these platforms, these are helpful to follow for regular updates from the IRS.
  • The IRS also has a free app called IRS2Go, where taxpayers can check their refund status, make payments, and sign up for helpful tax tips.

You can also view your tax account information online at IRS.gov to review your tax status, and call an IRS representative using the appropriate phone number if you have questions regarding the legitimacy of the correspondence. A list of official IRS phone numbers can be found here. If you would like to report the scam to the IRS, you can forward the email or details of the call to [email protected].

If you receive correspondence from the IRS and have questions, we can help you determine if the correspondence is legitimate. Please reach out to us with any questions you may have regarding IRS correspondence and tax scams.