Contribute by Jordyn Fields

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is warning taxpayers to look out for ‘ghost’ tax return preparers. A ghost preparer is someone who print tax returns but refuse to sign the tax return they have prepared with electronically and physically.

Ghost tax preparers may promise a bigger return that seem tempting but taxpayers are warned to steer clear. “They may invent income so that you qualify for tax credits, they may claim fake deductions so that you qualify for a larger refund,”said IRS spokesperson Michael Devine.

According to the IRS this can move into tax fraud and cause real issues for those involved.

“Taxpayers should verify both their routing and bank account number on the completed tax return for any direct deposit refund. And taxpayers should watch out for ghost preparers inserting their bank account information onto the returns.,” says the IRS.

The deadline to file taxes is April 15.