Christella Sanchez, Senior Stakeholder Liaison with the IRS, joins Ray Davis on Taxpayer Beware to discuss how to avoid social media tax scams.

Tom O’Saben & Rebecca Landeros join Ray Davis on Taxpayer Beware to discuss the story of a real-life victim of tax fraud, & learn from his mistakes.

Rebecca Landeros joins Ray Davis to discuss tax scams after disasters, spotting fake preparers, and how to report fraud to stay safe during tough times.

Antonio Vazquez joins Ray Davis on Taxpayer Beware to discuss how to hire real tax pros, how to spot scammers, and what to do if you get scammed.

Rebecca Landeros joins Ray Davis on Taxpayer Beware to discuss the state requirements that tax professionals doing business in California must meet.

Jen Bogart, Fernando Angell, and Tom O’Saban join Ray Davis on Taxpayer Beware to discuss the differences between three types of tax professionals.

Welcome to Taxpayer Beware from CTEC, a show dedicated to helping you gain the right knowledge, find the best tax help, and avoid the latest scams.

Let's face it. Tax law is complex. So complex it's the reason why California requires tax preparers to be educated on tax laws. But is hiring a tax professional the right choice for you? Brandon Chanley, chats with Kelly Phillips Erb, tax attorney and senior editor at Forbes, Susie Dimaggio, enrolled agent, and Fernando Angell, CTEC registrant and host of the CTEC Spanish Taxpayer Beware podcast.Learn when you should hire a tax pro and when it's okay to go it alone.

They're a problem we keep seeing year after year, we call them ghost tax preparers. Every tax season, they'll hang a shingle over a tax preparation service, offering it for a low fee, or sometimes just word of mouth to get business. Once April 15th comes and goes, they disappear like a ghost - leaving their victims to deal with their mess. Unfortunately, sometimes victims don't even know there's an issue until they get a notice from the IRS or the Franchise Tax Board or year or more later. Brandon Chanley chats with Christella Sanchez of the IRS and Rebecca Landeros with the Franchise Tax Board enforcement team. Learn what to know if this happens to you and where you can go to for help.

It can happen to the most honest of us. It could be fraud. It could be a financial issue. But it happened. You're facing a tax issue. Is there anywhere you can go to for help? CTEC Chair, Brandon Chanley, chats with the Brenda Voet - Taxpayer Advocate for the Franchise Tax Board. Hear stories of how she's helped taxpayers with taxing situations and who you can trust for help.

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about tax refunds - especially regarding what tax pros can and cannot do. For instance, is it okay for them to take a percentage of your refund as payment? And then there’s the controversial issue of refund loans. CTEC Chair, Brandon Chanley, chats with tax pro, Marissa Beaman, to set the record straight.

From fake phone calls and emails to targeting your social media posts - scammers are getting more creative. Stealing not only your identity, but your tax refund. CTEC Chair, Brandon Chanley, chats with Elias Dominguez from the Franchise Tax Board Public Affairs Division. Hear what the state is doing to stop fraud and the state's advice to taxpayers. You can also find more tips on CTEC.org with links on how to find and verify a legal tax preparer.

It can happen to the most honest of us. It could be fraud. It could be a financial issue. But it happened. You're facing a tax issue. Is there anywhere you can go to for help? CTEC Chair, Brandon Chanley, chats with Steve Sims - former Taxpayer Advocate for the Franchise Tax Board and nationally-recognized state tax expert. Hear stories of how he's helped taxpayers with taxing situations and who you can trust for help.

From fake phone calls and emails to targeting your social media posts - scammers are getting more creative. Stealing not only your identity, but your tax refund. In fact, most victims have no idea it happened to them until they try to file their tax return. CTEC Chair, Brandon Chanley, chats with Elias Dominguez from the Franchise Tax Board Public Affairs Division. Hear what state is doing to stop fraud, including true stories, and the state's advice to taxpayers. You can also find more tips on CTEC.org with links on how to find and verify a legal tax preparer.

So you hired a tax preparer. They’re the pro. You paid them a fee  - but what happens if there’s a mistake? Or worse yet, fraud. Brandon Chanley, Chair of the California Tax Education Council (CTEC), chats with Richard Ernst, a former prosecutor for New York State's Attorney General. Richard provides tales from the past about issues he's seen with tax preparers and how you can avoid fraud. In California, only an attorney, CPA, CTEC registered tax preparer or IRS enrolled agent can do your taxes for a fee. Anyone who is preparing tax returns without one of those four legal designations is breaking state law. And there are thousands doing just that. To find or verify the legal status of a tax preparer, visit ctec.org.

What is California doing about illegal tax preparers and tax scams? Quite a bit, actually. California is one of the few states to have set requirements for paid tax preparers. By law, anyone who prepares your tax return must be either an attorney, CPA, enrolled agent or a registered tax preparer with the California Tax Education Council (CTEC). CTEC partners with the Franchise Tax Board to go after tax preparers who are not one of those four professionals. CTEC Chair, Brandon Chanley, chats with Rebecca Landeros of the Franchise Tax Board's Tax Preparer Enforcement Team - she's the one who goes out and actually pays visits to questionable tax preparers throughout California. Hear what state is doing to stop fraud and Rebecca's advice to taxpayers. You can also find more tips on CTEC.org with links on how to find and verify a legal tax preparer.

It is a problem that happens every tax season. Ghost tax preparers. Who are they? They charge a fee to do your taxes, but never sign your tax return. So what can happen if a tax preparer doesn't sign? Well, how about owing thirteen thousand in fraudulent taxes? Or paying back your refund. With interest. Unfortunately, it happens. And by the way, not signing is also against the law. Brandon Chanley, Chair of the California Tax Education Council (CTEC), chats with Esperanza Escobedo, a tax professional who has a true story to tell about a victim that encountered a 'ghost'. Joining her is Rebecca Landeros, part of the Franchise Tax Board Tax Preparer Enforcement Team, with insights on what she sees in the field and what to watch out for. In California, only an attorney, CPA, CTEC registered tax preparer or IRS enrolled agent can do your taxes for a fee. Anyone who is preparing tax returns without one of those four legal designations is breaking state law. And there are thousands doing just that. To find or verify the legal status of a tax preparer, visit CTEC.org.

It is a problem that happens every tax season. Ghost tax preparers. Who are they? They charge a fee to do your taxes, but never sign your tax return. So what can happen if a tax preparer doesn't sign? Well, how about owing thirteen thousand in fraudulent taxes? Or paying back your refund. With interest. Unfortunately, it happens. And by the way, not signing is also against the law. In fact, we have stories to share and how you can avoid it happening to you. Brandon Chanley, Chair of the California Tax Education Council (CTEC), chats with Fernando Angell, a tax professional with a true story about a victim he helped. In California, only an attorney, CPA, CTEC registered tax preparer or IRS enrolled agent can do your taxes for a fee. Anyone who is preparing tax returns without one of those four legal designations is breaking state law. And there are thousands doing just that. To find or verify the legal status of a tax preparer, visit CTEC.org.