A New Season, New Scams
Every year, as tax season approaches, scammers update their playbook, and high-income professionals like dentists are top targets. From fake IRS notices to “ghost” preparers and refund schemes, the goal is always the same: to steal your identity, your money, or both.
In 2025, the IRS reports an increase in email and text scams impersonating tax officials. These messages often include official-looking logos, reference real-sounding case numbers, or threaten legal action. For busy practice owners juggling payroll, patient care, and year-end filings, it is easy to click before thinking.
Knowing what to look for can save you thousands and prevent major stress during tax season.
- IRS Impersonation Scams Are Surging
Scammers are now using AI-generated messages that sound convincing, reference your business name, or even mimic your CPA’s tone.
How to spot it:
- The IRS will never contact you first via email, text, or social media.
- Demands for immediate payment, especially via gift cards, wire, or crypto, are always fake.
- Look for sender domains that are slightly “off,” such as irs-gov.com instead of irs.gov.
If you are unsure, forward suspicious emails to phishing@irs.gov and call your CPA before responding.
- Refund and ERC Scheme Red Flags
With so many changing credits and deductions, especially lingering Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims, scammers continue to target practice owners with promises of large refunds.
Red flags include:
- Preparers guaranteeing large refunds before reviewing your records.
- Firms that will not sign your return, also known as “ghost” preparers.
- Requests for upfront payments based on a percentage of your refund.
In some cases, dentists have faced IRS audits and repayment demands because of fraudulent ERC claims filed by third-party companies.
Tip: Always work with a CPA who specializes in dental practices. They will understand your ownership structure, depreciation strategy, and legitimate credit eligibility.
- Data Theft Through Tax Portals and File Sharing
Unlike general cybersecurity threats, these attacks focus specifically on financial documents such as W-2s, business returns, and QuickBooks files. They often involve fake portals or file-sharing links that imitate tax software.
Protect yourself by:
- Using secure portals, not email, to send tax documents.
- Enabling multi-factor authentication on every financial platform.
- Confirming URLs before logging in and typing them directly into your browser.
- Beware of “Too-Good-to-Be-True” Tax Strategies
Each tax season brings a new wave of questionable “loopholes” promoted to high-income professionals. Some involve abusive trust structures or offshore strategies that claim to eliminate tax liability.
In reality, these can trigger audits, penalties, or even criminal charges, as seen in multiple recent IRS enforcement cases involving healthcare professionals.
What to do: If a strategy promises total tax elimination or sounds overly aggressive, get a second opinion from a licensed dental CPA.
- Stay One Step Ahead This Tax Season
Dentists do not need to become fraud experts. They just need the right systems and partners.
Here is a quick checklist:
- File your returns early to reduce identity theft risk
- Verify your tax preparer’s credentials annually
- Use secure, encrypted portals for all document sharing
- Review your IRS account online periodically for suspicious filings
- Report any suspected scam directly at IRS.gov/scams