Scam e-mail claims to be from IRS
ST. LOUIS – The Internal Revenue Service warns taxpayers that a scam e-mail is circulating that fraudulently uses the IRS name and logo as a lure.
The latest scam e-mail targets both businesses and individuals. It claims a federal tax payment has been rejected and directs the recipient to complete an attached form. That attachment contains a virus that may infect your computer so they can steal personal and financial information.
"The IRS never sends unsolicited e-mail asking for your financial or detailed personal information," said IRS spokesman Michael Devine.
If you receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be from the IRS or directing you to site for a refund or to answer questions about your taxes, Devine warns:
• Do not reply to the message.
• Do not open any attachments, they may contain a virus.
• Do not click on any links.
The IRS says their first contact will be a letter or notice that arrives through the mail. That correspondence will explain the situation and provide contact information. To verify the IRS is trying to contact you, call their toll-free number, 800-829-1040.
To help shut down scam sites, you can forward suspicious e-mails that claim to come from the IRS to a special mailbox, phishing@irs.gov. You can forward the message as received or provide the Internet header of the e-mail. The Internet header has additional information to help locate the sender.
One may also report misuse of the IRS name, logo, forms or other IRS property to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration toll-free at 1-800-366-4484.
BY STAFF REPORTS
ST. LOUIS – More than 2,100 Barton County taxpayers received more than $4.5 million in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) last year.
"The EITC can put an extra $457 to $5,666 into the pockets of low-income working individuals and families," said IRS spokesman Michael Devine. "If they qualify and claim the credit, they could pay less federal tax or even receive a refund beyond the amount of tax withheld."
In Barton County, Devine said the average EITC per recipient in 2010 was $2,112. Due to a local holiday in Washington, D.C. April 15, the tax filing deadline has been extended to Monday, April 18.
The EITC was created in 1975 in part to offset the burden of Social Security taxes and to serve as a work incentive. More than 214,000 Kansas individuals and families claimed and received more than $451 million.
The IRS estimates that four out of five eligible taxpayers claim this tax credit, but some do not because they are unaware of the EITC or they don’t know how to claim it.
Those eligible to claim EITC include non-English speakers, individuals who are self-employed or have service jobs in private households, childless taxpayers, rural residents, and recipients of other types of public assistance such as food stamps. New parents, grandparents raising grandchildren and foster parents may not realize they qualify. Some families, such as those in the military and those raising children with disabilities, may not realize there are special rules that may help them qualify.
To make it easier to determine eligibility for this credit, the IRS has a self-help tool, the EITC Assistant at the irs.gov web site. This step-by-step online program helps answer questions about eligibility, filing status, qualifying children and credit amount. The EITC Assistant also is available in Spanish.
For more information about EITC or any IRS program, visit "1040 Central" at www.IRS.gov.
