IRS and Security Summit Partners Warn Against Bad Tax Advice on Social Media, IR-2024-302

The IRS and Security Summit partners issued a consumer alert regarding the increasing risk of misleading tax advice on social media, which caused people to file inaccurate tax returns. To avoid mistakes, taxpayers are advised to follow these guidelines:

• Avoid claiming false deductions promoted by certain advisors, such as “necessary expenses for the production of income” or “compensation for personal services actually rendered.”
• Carefully review your tax return and ensure you only claim credits you’re legitimately entitled to.
• Taxpayers who have been misled should verify their eligibility for any claimed deductions.
• Before following tax advice from social media, consult a tax professional.
• For accurate instructions on completing forms, refer to the forms repository on IRS.gov.

Further, visit IRS.gov to verify information through official IRS social media accounts and government sites. Taxpayers can report information to the IRS Whistleblower Office for a potential reward or report scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration or the Internet Crime Complaint Center. To report an abusive tax scheme or a tax return preparer, submit Form 14242, Report Suspected Abusive Tax Promotions or Preparers and supporting materials to the IRS Lead Development Center via mail or fax.

IR-2024-302