Don't trust just anyone with your tax return

Potential presidential candidate Mike Huckabee continues to push a national sales tax, the "Fair Tax," to replace the current IRS code.

It sounds inviting to "abolish the IRS" as Huckabee contends, but opponents say it would lower the tax burden on the wealthiest while increasing it on the middle class. Lower-income people would receive "prefunds" on their purchases, but we have the right to be skeptical of any program gives the government money before sending it back.

That idea, as well as many others, deserves fair consideration and open debate, but don't look for IRS office space to open up any time soon.

Meanwhile, it's a good idea to heed some IRS warnings about scammers who want to steal our refunds or take our money with promises of refunds that won't materialize at the risk of fines that will.

First off, unless you're doing your simple tax return yourself, hire a reputable expert to do your tax returns. Remember, you're responsible for your return, even if someone else prepares it. And, don't forget you're trusting them with your entire identity -- Social Security number, income, family members, etc.

Beyond that, the IRS is warning of the following scams:

* The IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scam. An aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS, but are not. These con artists can sound convincing when they call. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.

* Email Phishing Scam: "Update your IRS e-file"

The IRS has been alerted to a new email phishing scam. The emails appear to be from the IRS and include a link to a bogus web site intended to mirror the official IRS web site. These emails contain the direction "you are to update your IRS e-file immediately." The emails mention USA.gov and IRSgov (without a dot between "IRS" and "gov"), though notably, not IRS.gov (with a dot). Don't get scammed. These emails are not from the IRS.

* Tax Scams. Don't fall victim to tax scams. Remember -- if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

* Phony Arguments. No matter how some things are sliced, they're still baloney. If someone tells you that you don't have to pay taxes, check out The Truth About Frivolous Tax Arguments. This IRS.gov exclusive addresses some of the more common false legal arguments made by those opposed to compliance with the federal tax laws. Each contention is briefly explained, followed by a discussion of the legal authority that rejects the contention. The second section deals with frivolous arguments encountered in collection due process cases. The final section illustrates penalties imposed on those pursuing frivolous cases

* Identity Theft Scams. The IRS has issued several consumer warnings about the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scamsters trying to gain access to consumers' financial information in order to steal their identity and assets. Scamsters will use the regular mail, telephone, fax or email to set up their victims. When identity theft takes place over the Internet (email), it is called phishing.

Check out much more information at IRS.gov