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June 2022

Photo of confused woman looking at her smartphone illustrates blog: "Beware of Pandemic-Related Scams!"

Beware of Pandemic-Related Scams!

Not even the pandemic can slow down criminals, who never cease to look for ways to lure unsuspecting victims. That’s why in today’s post, we talk about pandemic-related scams and give you tips on how to avoid them. 

Pandemic-Related Scams: What You Need To Know

Scammers are experts at taking advantage of confusing situations to rob people of their money or personal information. The pandemic is no exception to this perverse rule. That’s why we encourage you to be on the lookout for the scams described below. 

Economic Impact Payments Tax Refund Scams

Scammers use Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) as an excuse to try to trick you into sharing your personal information. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

  • The IRS has already issued all Economic Impact Payments. If you didn’t get yours or received less than the full amount, you may be eligible to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 or 2021 tax return. 
  • The IRS will NEVER initiate contact by phone, email, text, or social media, asking you to provide personal information such as your Social Security number.

Fake Employment Offers

The pandemic has caused shifts in the labor market and some people are urgently looking for a job. Scammers take advantage of jobseekers by using social media to persuade them to share their personal information under the guise of a job offer.

  • Never share your personal information (such as social security number, passwords, or bank accounts) through social media messages.
  • Among other things, criminals can use your information to file a fraudulent tax return and get a fraudulent refund. 

Fake Charities

This is a classic scam, and criminals have been quick to adapt it to the pandemic. If you plan to make charitable donations, be sure to keep the following in mind:

  • If a person tries to pressure you into making a donation quickly, that’s a huge red flag and one of the hallmarks of a scam.
  • Before making a donation, ask the person for the exact name of the charity as well as the address of its website. Then verify all those details online. 
  • NEVER, under any circumstances, make a donation using gift cards or by wiring money. 

Need Help With Your Taxes? Contact JT Tax Services

At JT Taxes, we have made it our mission to take the stress of tax filing off your hands so you can focus on what matters most to you. We maximize your refund and help you stay compliant with all applicable rules and laws.We are located in Oxnard, California. Contact us today by email (info@jttaxservices.com), telephone (805-984-8890), or through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to schedule a consultation or to learn more about our wide array of tax services.

Photo of smiling woman with laptop illustrates blog: "Delayed Refund? You Will Receive 5% Interest After July 1"

Delayed Refund? The IRS Will Pay 5% Interest After July 1

If you’re still waiting on your tax refund, we have some good news: the IRS will pay 5% interest to individuals after July 1. Here’s what you need to know. 

What You Need to Know

Typically, the IRS has 45 days after the filing deadline (in 2022 it was 2018) to process your tax return and send your refund. After those 45 days, the IRS starts paying interests to taxpayers.

However, there’s something you should keep in mind: Those interests are taxable.

While the IRS does its best to process returns in a timely fashion, some delays are inevitable due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

If your return is part of the backlog the IRS is actually experiencing, keep reading —  in the next section we explain how to check the status of your refund. 

How to Check the Status of Your Refund

Checking the status of your refund is extremely easy thanks to an online tool created by the IRS. 

The tool is called Where’s My Refund (just click on the link to open the tool) and you can use it 24 hours after filing your 2021 return or four weeks after mailing a paper return. 

Before opening Where’s My Refund, make sure to have the following information ready:

  • Your Social Security Number (SSN) or ITIN
  • Your filing status (single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, etc)
  • Your exact refund amount

Where’s My Refund is updated daily, usually overnight. So if your refund information isn’t available yet, check again the next day. 

Need Help With Your Taxes? Contact JT Tax Services

If you need help with your taxes, you’ve come to the right place.  At JT Taxes, we have made it our mission to take the stress of tax filing off your hands so you can focus on what matters most to you.

We maximize your refund and help you stay compliant with all applicable rules and laws. We are located in Oxnard, California. Contact us today by email (info@jttaxservices.com), telephone (805-984-8890), or through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to schedule a consultation or to learn more about our wide array of tax services.

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How To Contact the IRS

From refunds to tax transcripts, there are many reasons why you may want to contact the IRS. In this post, we talk about how to contact the IRS and give you some tools to make things easier when dealing with some common tax needs.

How To Contact the IRS

How to contact the IRS by phone. If you are a taxpayer with questions about federal taxes, you can get answers at 1-800-829-1040. The help line is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm local time. 

To request a transcript by phone, call 800-908-9946.

For assistance in a language other than English or Spanish, call 833-553-9895.

Make sure to have the following ready when you call the IRS:

  • Social Security Number (SSN) and birth date
  • Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) if you don’t have a Social Security Number
  • Filing status (single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, ec.)
  • Prior-year tax return
  • Tax return you’re calling about
  • Any letter you may have received

When to contact the IRS by email. The IRS encourages taxpayers to contact the agency through its electronic tools (see below). Calling by phone is recommended only in certain cases. But in the specific case of phishing emails, the IRS asks taxpayers to report suspicious emails at phishing@irs.gov (make sure to forward the email with full email headers included).

How To Get Information About Your Tax Refund

If you need information about the status of your tax return, you don’t have to call the IRS. 

Instead of waiting on the phone, use the online tool Where’s My Refund, which has information for the 2021, 2020, and 2019 tax years.

To open the tool, just click the link provided above and make sure to have the following ready:

  • Your Social Security number or ITIN
  • Your filing status
  •  Your exact refund amount

You should call the IRS (again, the number is 1-800-829-1040) only if:

  • It’s been 21 days or more since you e-filed
  • It’s been more than 6 weeks since you mailed your paper return
  • Where’s My Refund says the IRS can provide more information to you over the phone

How To Get a Tax Transcript

We covered this topic in a previous post, but here’s a summary of what you need to know:

  • You can request an IRS transcript online, but first you’ll need to create an online account here.
  • Once you have created an account, you can request your transcript here 
  • Alternatively, you can request to get your transcript by mail. All you have to do is to fill out this form.
  • As a third alternative, you can order your transcript by phone at 800-908-9946

How To Get an EIN

People looking to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) can do it easily without calling the IRS by using this online assistant.

The system operates Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. 

How to Contact the IRS in Languages Other Than English

The IRS makes it a point to offer information in different languages other than English to help as many taxpayers as possible. 

People who need assistance in other languages can get the support of a professional interpreter over the phone.

  • For assistance in Spanish, call 800-829-1040
  • For all other languages (including Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Farsi, and others), call 833-553-9895

Need Help With Your Taxes? Contact JT Tax Services

If you need help with your taxes, you’ve come to the right place.  At JT Taxes, we have made it our mission to take the stress of tax filing off your hands so you can focus on what matters most to you.

We maximize your refund and help you stay compliant with all applicable rules and laws. We are located in Oxnard, California. Contact us today by email (info@jttaxservices.com), telephone (805-984-8890), or through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to schedule a consultation or to learn more about our wide array of tax services.

We will be closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday (July 2nd - 4th)
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