Hi my name is Helen, and I work for the IRS. Abusive tax schemes cause harm to many, including you, the federal government, and even the taxpayers who participate in them. It's important that abusive schemes are stopped as early as possible. The IRS would like your help in identifying promoters of abusive tax schemes and the tax preparers using them to help clients avoid paying the proper taxes.

The IRS Lead Development Center's mission is to identify and deter individuals who promote abusive tax schemes and/or prepare abusive returns. The LDC evaluates and develops information from both internal and external sources. Taxpayers should be cautioned not to be taken in by promoters of tax schemes.

Remind your clients that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Learn more about the role of the IRS Lead Development Center and how to report suspected abusive tax schemes at www.irs.gov and search using the keyword "scams".