(Photo By Flickr User MoneyBlogNewz)

The Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers to avoid unethical tax return preparers, known as ghost preparers.

According to the IRS:

“by law, anyone who is paid to prepare or assist in preparing federal tax returns must have a valid 2019 Preparer Tax Identification Number, or PTIN. Paid preparers must sign the return and include their PTIN.”

Ghost preparers won’t sign your return. Instead, they might print the return and tell the taxpayer (you) to sign and mail it to the IRS.

For e-filed returns, they will take your money and prepare it but won’t digitally sign it as the paid preparer.

According to the IRS, dishonest and criminal ghost tax return preparers look to make easy money by promising a big refund or charging fees based on a percentage of the refund.

Ghost tax return preparers may also:

–Require payment in cash only and not provide a receipt.

-Invent income to erroneously qualify their clients for tax credits or claim fake deductions to boost their refunds.

-Direct refunds into their own bank account rather than the taxpayer’s account

“The IRS urges taxpayers to review their tax return carefully before signing and ask questions if something is not clear. And for any direct deposit refund, taxpayers should make sure both the routing and bank account number on the completed tax return are correct.”

(Information Courtesy Of WQAD-TV)