IRS issues tax scam warning
As a result of an emergence of new variations of widespread tax scams, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued another warning urging taxpayers to remain on high alert and protect themselves against the evolving tactics of scammers.
Since October 2013, about 600,000 incidents have been reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. More than 4,000 victims have reported financial losses totaling more than $20 million as a result of tax scams.
Scammers posing as IRS agents first targeted those viewed as most vulnerable, including senior citizens, newly arrived immigrants and those whose first language is not English, but scammers recently have developed new tactics that can be used to target virtually anyone.
Some scammers now are able to alter what appears on a telephone caller ID to make it appear they are with the IRS or a similar agency. Scammers use online resources to access personal information about their targets, such as a person's full name and address, to make the telephone call seem legitimate. Other targets may receive an email or letter from scammers who copy official IRS letterhead in an attempt to make the document appear authentic. Some scammers direct their victims to a nearby bank where the victims can obtain a means of payment, such as a debit card, or provide a real IRS address for a victim to mail a receipt for the payment. All these details are intended to trick a targeted person into providing payment to the scammer.
"We continue to see these aggressive tax scams across the country," says IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "Scam artists specialize in being deceptive and fooling people. The IRS urges taxpayers to be extra cautious and think twice before answering suspicious phone calls, emails or letters."
The common theme among tax scams is fear. Scammers may threaten their targets with police arrest, deportation or license revocation or may leave an "urgent" callback request in an attempt to scare people into reacting immediately without analyzing the situation.
The following list provided by the IRS describes five things scammers often do that the real IRS would never do:
If you believe you have become the target of an IRS impersonation scam, you may take one or more of the following steps:
If you have been targeted by any scam, you are urged to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and use its FTC Complaint Assistant at FTC.gov.
Roofing contractor indicted after fatal fall
James J. McCullagh, owner of James J. McCullagh Roofing, Jenkintown, Pa., has been indicted on charges in connection with the fatal fall of an employee. According to the Department of Justice, McCullagh is charged with four counts of making false statements, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of willfully violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, causing an employee's death.
On June 21, 2013, an employee of James J. McCullagh Roofing was killed after falling about 45 feet from a roof bracket scaffold while performing roofing work. According to the indictment, McCullagh had failed to provide fall protection to employees.
During OSHA's investigation, McCullagh falsely stated on four occasions that he had provided fall-protection equipment, including safety harnesses, to his employees. He also stated to an OSHA compliance safety and health officer that he had seen his employees wearing safety harnesses tied off to an anchor point when he saw them earlier in the day before the fall. The indictment alleges McCullagh knew he had not provided fall protection to his employees and none of his employees had safety harnesses or any other form of fall protection. It is further alleged McCullagh told his employees to falsely state they had fall protection on the day of the fall.
If McCullagh is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, three years of supervised release, $1.5 million in fines and a $510 special assessment. The company is not an NRCA member.
According to OSHA, falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. NRCA offers assistance and tools to educate the roofing industry about all aspects of fall protection. For information about NRCA's fall-protection compliance program, Serving Up Safety: A Recipe for Avoiding Falls on the Job, visit shop.nrca.net. For more information about NRCA's safety programs, contact NRCA's Customer Service Department at (866) ASK-NRCA (275-6722).
Deadline for filing ACA forms is February 2016
In accordance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), applicable large employers must report information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and provide statements to their full-time employees about the health insurance coverage offered by the employer. The requirement applies to all companies that had, on average, 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees during 2015.
Such employers must file Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage, and Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns, with the IRS annually. For 2015, the forms must be filed no later than Feb. 28, 2016 (or March 31, 2016, if the forms are filed electronically). These employers also must provide statements containing the same information provided to the IRS to each of their full-time employees no later than Jan. 31 each year.
Employers that do not comply with the IRS information reporting requirements may be subject to penalties.
For more information about the ACA's IRS information reporting requirements, visit www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Employers/Information-Reporting-by-Applicable-Large-Employers.
In addition, NRCA provides A Roofing Contractor's Guide to the Affordable Care Act, a free member resource that details how to implement the ACA in your business. Nonmembers can purchase the guide for $55. The guide can be found at shop.nrca.net.
NRCA launches new app
NRCA has launched its app for smartphones, offering members free access to NRCA's electronic publications. Members can download the app, called NRCA Mobile, from the Apple App Store, Google Play and Windows Store to gain access to all NRCA publications and newsletters.
For more information about the NRCA app, including frequently asked questions and instructions for how to download the app, visit www.nrca.net/NRCA-app.
GAF acquires Quest Construction Products
GAF, Parsippany, N.J., has completed its acquisition of Quest Construction Products, Charleston, S.C., the largest supplier of fluid-applied roof systems and roof coatings products in North America. The acquisition is expected to bolster the growth of GAF's commercial business.
In addition to providing GAF with a strong presence in roof coatings solutions for pavement and vertical surfaces, Quest Construction Products brings a variety of high-tech and environmentally friendly roofing product lines to GAF. The strategic geographic positioning and technical expertise of Quest Construction Products will further benefit GAF's customers.
"This acquisition combines North America's leading manufacturer and marketer of roofing products with the leading producer of fluid-applied solutions," says Bob Tafaro, GAF's president and CEO. "We have acquired excellent brands that will provide an enhanced platform for growth. The Quest Construction Products team will further enrich our culture of achievement and we look forward to working together on a smooth integration."
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