According to the California Tax Education Council, tax preparers are not allowed to take a percentage of your income tax refund for compensation.
Tax preparers also cannot base their fees on the amount of your tax refund.
CTEC is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1997 by the California State Legislature to protect taxpayers against fraud and incompetent tax preparers.
Taxpayers should know the fee associated with your tax returns should be based on the complexity of your return and not the amount of your refund.
Representatives at CTEC say you should never trust a preparer who promises a bigger tax refund than competitors or guarantee a tax refund before reviewing your information.
Your refund should always be deposited or mailed directly to you.
For more information on how to protect yourself against tax refund scams visit ctec.org.
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