A 'ghost tax preparer' is someone who isn't certified but still prepares tax returns.
FILE - An Internal Revenue Service 2023 1040 tax form and instructions are shown on Jan. 26, 2024 in New York. It's tax season in the U.S., and for many people, filing tax returns can be a daunting task that's often left until the last minute. According to the Better Business Bureau, a “ghost tax preparer” is someone who isn’t certified but still prepares tax returns.
They not only waste filers’ funds, but their schemes can cause serious problems in the long run, the BBB said.What these “ghost preparers” do is get everything ready for your tax return, but when they submit it to the IRS, they ask you to sign your own return, making it look like it was self-filed.Having you sign and file the return yourself is the ghost preparer’s way around the PTIN.
The BBB admits that this doesn’t seem like a big deal. So you’re taking the prepared files and mailing them to the IRS yourself? So what?Email AddressBut when something goes wrong, the preparer is nowhere to be found. And since your return was technically self-filed,are liable for any errors or omissions the ghost preparer made. That includes underpayment and negligence penalties, which happen often because the large refund the ghost preparer promised you wasn’t accurate in the first place.
By law, anyone who prepares or even assists with preparing federal tax returns for compensation must have a validSo how do you avoid falling victim to a “ghost preparer”?If someone promises quick refunds or big returns, be careful. Your return amount, deduction amount, or taxes owed are solely based on your past year’s tax information and the current tax laws. The time it will take to receive your refund or tax notice will depend entirely upon the IRS.
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