For those of you a little more in the know about me, you already know that I've taken a second job as a tax preparer. I took the job primarily because after doing my taxes for three years ago, each experience bringing different challenges that I overcame. Well, knowing how to do YOUR taxes is completely different from knowing how to do EVERYONE's taxes. The real challenge is all the rules regarding the Earned Income Credit.
The EIC, as it's called because we hate syllables when an acronym will do, is something you're familiar with if you don't make a lot of money and have kids. It's free money and everyone wants it. Everyone wants it to the point of lying about it. This year, you can get credit for three children, which is one more than in previous years. From what little I've seen so far, people are so stupid as to confess to a tax preparer that they're out to defraud the government by claiming other people's children and relatives. If you're going to lie, please don't tell us you're lying. That implicates us and we are personally responsible for being certain that your tax return is correct and not fraudulent.
I don't know yet if I'm going to face any instance where I am being used to defraud the government. It's good to know that my office has already refused to file a return because it was obviously fraud.
