State Treasury Warns Against Telephone Tax Scams
The department is also asking filers not to staple their forms.
FILE - Michigan Individual Income Tax Return.
Glenn White has seen some strange things around tax time at the Michigan Department of Treasury. A few years ago, someone sent in their state income tax return along with a “thank you” note and a picture of their favorite animal–an alpaca.
“And that’s still on someone’s bulletin board somewhere,” White says.
But Michigan’s Deputy Treasurer says it’s not always so cute. White says telephone scams are a serious threat during tax season. He says criminals impersonating tax officials will call people out of the blue, demanding payment through a wire transfer, prepaid debit card, or even a gift card. White, who’s in charge of the Treasury’s Tax Administration Group, says if someone owes back taxes, they won’t get an unsolicited call from the state.
“We’ll send a letter and identify the debt, what it’s for, and provide taxpayers with appeal rights and contact information if they have questions regarding the debt,” White says, adding tax officials won’t demand immediate payment or send police to collect a tax debt. “That’s just not how we operate.”
White says some scams target tax preparation firms, looking for a client’s personal information. He says filing electronically is a very secure way to submit a return. It’s also a good way to avoid a common problem his department encounters with paper returns–staples. White says it takes time to remove staples, which can damage documents that have to be scanned.
“If it’s damaged, it has to be repaired so it can go through the imaging process,” White says.
Click on the audio player to hear Glenn White’s conversation with WDET’s Pat Batcheller.
Find forms and more at Michigan Department of Treasury’s Tax Page
