It’s frightening enough when you receive a notice from the IRS or a state’s taxing authority, but what’s worse is if it’s not from them, but some type of scam or misleading advertising. Here are a few ways to tell.
Fine Print
There’s a company that sends out annual report renewal notices that look like they’re from the State of New Jersey. However, if you look at the fine print, it says it’s a separate company and they also want you to send an amount to them that’s much greater than the typical $75 annual report filing fee.
Doesn’t Make Sense
The notice is asking for information the IRS or state should already have, which can be a red flag, but unfortunately, not always. Additionally, they may want you to wire money to a bank account. FYI, you usually can pay notices directly through the IRS website and the state’s websites, but make sure to go to those sites and not the site listed on the notice.
Contact Information
Look up the contact information on the notice to see if the address, telephone or fax numbers are legitamate. A simple Google search can help determine this.
Reach Out to Your Tax Professional
Send the notice to your CPA or tax professional so they can help you decide if it’s real.