WAS ABUSED BY NASSER AND HE HAS
ALREADY BEEN SENTENCED TO 60
YEARS ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
CHARGES.
HE WILL BE CHARGED FRIDAY ON
THE MOLESTATION CHARGES.
ANOTHER REASON FOR YOU TO
GET READY FOR MONDAY, JANUARY
29 THE START OF TAX FILING
SEASON IN TONIGHT'S MESSAGE,
FILE YOUR TAXES BEFORE THE
THIEVES BEAT YOU TO IT.
I'M JOINED BY KELLY JACKSON, A
SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE
MIAMI FIELD OFFICE.
LET'S START WITH FOLKS WERE
GETTING THAT INFORMATION
TOGETHER TO FILE TAX RETURNS
AND MAYBE THEY NEED HELP.
THERE IS A LOT OF TAX-
PREPARATION SERVICE OUT THERE,
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR TO FIND A
TAX PREPARER THAT IS LEGIT.
, THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM
BOTH FOR THE IRS AND EVERYBODY
THAT IS A TAXPAYING CITIZEN,
ASPIRA PREPARE FOR THEIR
CREDENTIALS.
A LEGITIMATE RETURN PREPARER
SHOULD SIGN YOUR RETURN AS THE
PREPARER OF THE RETURN.
EVERY PAID RETURN PREPARER IS
ISSUED A NUMBER AND SHOULD PUT
THAT ON YOUR TAX RETURN.
YOU SHOULD ALSO GET A COPY OF
THE TAX RETURN THAT THE TO TURN
-- RETURN PREPARER PROVIDED AND
THE RETURN PREPARER SHOULD ALSO
CHARGE YOU A FEE BASED ON THE
SERVICE THEY ARE PROVIDING
CANNOT ON THE REFUND AMOUNT ON
THE TAX RETURN.
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE
THESE FOLKS ARE GETTING ALL OF
YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION, WHAT
ARE THE SIGNS THAT YOU ARE
DEALING WITH SOMEONE NOT
LEGITIMATE?
SOME OF THE THINGS YOU
SHOULD LOOK FOR OUR SOMEBODY
WHO IS NOT INTERESTED IN YOU AS
A CLIENT OF THE RETURN PREPARER
BUSINESS.
SOMEBODY WHO TAKES YOUR
INFORMATION AND DOESN'T GO
THROUGH THE RETURN WITH YOU AND
DOES NOT GO OVER THE RETURN
WITH YOU.
THESE PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY
TAKING YOUR IDENTIFICATION,
FILING A FALSE RETURN,
POCKETING THE RETURN AND YOU
COULD THEN BE THE WISER.
YOU SHOULD AVOID ANYBODY WHO
ASKS YOU TO SIGN A BLANK FORM,
THAT IS A SIGN THAT IT COULD BE
SOMEONE WHO IS PREPARING A
FRAUDULENT RETURN.
WHAT ABOUT SOMEONE WHO
PROMISES A BIG TAX REFUND?
IF SOMETHING SOUNDS TOO GOOD
TO BE TRUE IT PROBABLY IS.
NO MATTER WHO DOES YOUR RETURN
TO THE REFUND SHOULD BE THE
SAME, SO YOUR INFORMATION,
INCOME, THEY DON'T CHANGE ON
JANUARY 29, EVERYTHING HAS
ALREADY HAPPENED SO IF YOU WENT
TO TWO DIFFERENT RETURN
PREPARERS, THE BOTTOM LINE
SHOULD BE THE SAME, BECAUSE
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU DURING THE
YEAR FOR THE INCOME OR EXPENSES
YOU HAVE DOES NOT CHANGE.
YOU THINK WITH THE CHANGE IN
THE TAX LIEN THAT IT MAY CAUSE
CONFUSION EVEN THOUGH IT DOES
NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL NEXT
YEAR, COULD MORE PEOPLE BE
TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THIS
CONFUSION?
ABSOLUTELY.
WITH ANY CHANGE PEOPLE WILL
PREY ON OTHER PEOPLE.
TAXES ARE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT
EASY, REPAIRING A RETURN, 60%
OF TAX PAYERS SEEK A PAID REPAIR
AND THAT IS A LARGE NUMBER OF
RETURNS FILED WITH THE IRS THAT
COME IN THROUGH A PAID RETURN
PREPARER.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO CHOOSE
WISELY AND TO ASK THE PREPARER
QUESTIONS AND THAT YOU ARE
ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE
PREPARATION OF THAT RETURN.
DO THEY GIVE A THUMBS UP? IS
THERE A WAY TO CONTACT THE IRS?
GO ON IRS.GOV AND YOU CAN
LOOK UP RETURN PREPARERS, I
PULLED UP THE ZIP CODE FOR THE
PLANTATION WHERE THE MAIN
OFFICE IS IN I GAVE US WITHIN A
5 MILE RADIUS, 324 CERTIFIED,
WHETHER CPAS, ENROLLED AGENTS,
PREPARES IN THAT FIVE-MILE
RADIUS.
WE WILL GIVE INFORMATION TO THE
PUBLIC AS FAR AS THE PREPARERS