Tax Scams Are Targeting Uninsured, I.R.S. Warns

The Internal Revenue Service is warning consumers about tax scams involving the Affordable Care Act and penalties imposed under the law on people who go without health insurance. In some cases, the agency said, unscrupulous tax preparers tell clients to pay the penalties directly to them, and they keep the money. Most people do not owe the payment at all because they have health coverage, such as Medicaid or employer-sponsored insurance, or qualify for one of many available exemptions. “However,” the I.R.S. said, “if you owe a payment, remember that it should be made only with your tax return or in response to a letter from the I.R.S. The payment should never be made directly to an individual or return preparer.” The creators of these schemes have been “targeting taxpayers with limited English proficiency and, in particular, those who primarily speak Spanish,” the tax agency said last week in a bulletin for consumers.

Source/more: New York Times

David Wingate is an elder law attorney at the Elder Law Office of David Wingate, LLC. The elder law office services clients with powers of attorneys, living wills, Wills, Trusts, Medicaid and asset protection. The Elder Law office has locations in Frederick and Montgomery Counties, Maryland.