In brief, the scheme involved the electronic filing of thousands of tax returns using Social Security numbers assigned to residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Residents of Puerto Rico are issued Social Security numbers, but typically do not file federal tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) because, in general, such filing is not required as long as all of the Puerto Rico resident’s income is derived from Puerto Rican sources. Here, the fraudulent tax returns falsely claim that the filer resides in one of the fifty states of the United States. The use of Puerto Rican Social Security numbers minimizes the risk that a legitimate federal tax return was already filed by the legitimate holder of the Social Security number.
During the investigation it was determined that, during the one-month period between January 16 and February 18, 2009, approximately 8,000 federal tax returns were electronically filed via Internet websites run by a particular company. Substantially all of those returns were filed from the Dominican Republic, and nearly every one sought a refund. The total amount of refunds sought by those approximately 8,000 federal tax returns was over approximately $90 million. Moreover, 3,300 of those returns, seeking approximately $32 million in refunds, had been “accepted” by the IRS, which means that refund checks would have been sent out. Thus far, however, the IRS has determined that over approximately 2,000 of those returns were fraudulent because the returns indicated that the taxpayer had earned wages from a particular employer in 2008 when, in fact, that was not true. source.
Related Reading:
The IRS Problem Solver: From Audits to Assessments--How to Solve Your Tax Problems and Keep the IRS Off Your Back Forever- Are you burdened with the tax debt of a current or former spouse?
- Have you just received an IRS computerized or "correction" notice?
- Are you in danger of having your property seized?
- Has your tax return been selected for an audit?
- Is the IRS knocking on your door?
If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions, you're not alone: more than twenty-five million taxpayers are faced with the terrifying prospect of dealing with audits, assessments, or other IRS problems every year. But with all the books devoted to how to prepare your taxes, there's never been one that explains how to get yourself out of trouble easily, legally, and inexpensively -- until now. With The IRS Problem Solver, veteran tax expert Dan Pilla offers the first comprehensive guide to dealing with the most common IRS problems taxpayers confront, from face-to-face audits to fraud penalties. Pilla's book is an indispensable preventive tool for all who file their own taxes—and a necessity for anyone who's just received a notice that the wolf is at the door.
Confessions of a Tax Collector : One Man's Tour of Duty Inside the IRS (P.S.)Twelve years ago, Richard Yancey answered a blind ad in the newspaper offering a salary higher than what he’d made over the three previous years combined. It turned out that the job was for the Internal Revenue Service -- the most hated and feared organization in the federal government.
So Yancey became the man who got in his car, drove to your house, knocked on your door, and made you pay. Never mind that his car was littered with candy wrappers, his palms were sweaty, and he couldn’t remember where he stashed his own tax records. He was there on the authority of the United States government.
With "a rich mix of humor, horror, and angst [and] better than most novels on the bestseller lists" (Boston Sunday Globe), Confessions of a Tax Collector contains an astonishing cast of too-strange-for-fiction characters. But the most intriguing character of all is Yancey himself who -- in detailing how the job changed him and how he managed to pull himself back from the brink of moral, ethical, and spiritual bankruptcy -- reveals what really lies beneath those dark suits and mirrored sunglasses.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.
Orlimar Hybrid IRS Iron Replacement System (Right Handed, 27 degree, Regular VX Graphite Shaft)The Orlimar IRS (Iron Replacement System) clubs were designed to assist the golfer who struggles with their irons in either distance or playability. The two piece construction with internal weighting and the ideal offset achieves the optimal ball flight and control needed. This is one instance where the IRS is out to get you and it is not a bad thing.
Citation Details
Title: Who should have your Social Security number? Protect one of your most valuable pieces of information.
Author: Tamara E. Holmes
Publication: Black Enterprise (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2010
Publisher: Earl G. Graves Publishing Co., Inc.
Volume: 40 Issue: 11 Page: 46(2)
Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning
