WASHINGTON (AP)—Unscrupulous tax preparers are using President Barack Obama’s health care law as a ploy to pocket bogus fines from unsuspecting taxpayers, including some immigrants not bound by the law’s requirements, the IRS warned Friday.
In an advisory, the tax agency said consumers can be sure something is wrong when a tax preparer says they collect the health law fines that may be due the government. The law requires virtually everybody in the country to have coverage or risk fines.
“The payment should never be made directly to an individual or return preparer,” the IRS said. “Most people don’t owe the (fine) at all because they have health coverage or qualify for a coverage exemption.”
Sometimes the con artists promise to lower the purported fine if the consumer pays them directly.
The IRS said it has received reports from around the country that fraudsters are targeting immigrants, particularly Spanish speakers with a limited understanding of English.
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