Are Your Financial Contributions to Disaster Victims Going to Scammers?
October 1, 2025

October 1, 2025

Make Sure Your Donations Are Going To The Right Place

It seems like natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wild fires,  and tornados are happening all the time and just about everywhere. Climate  change also seems to be making these disasters more deadly and more  destructive. Many people do step up to help survivors with needed financial  donations.

The only thing worse than the disasters themselves are the scammers that  exploit these situations for financial gain at the expense of hard working and well-i ntentioned survivors and donors. Like yourself! Scams can take the form of fake  charities and impostors posing as legitimate organizations or government  agencies. Common scams typically entail vague appeals for donations without  details, fake websites with names like real charities and caller ID tricks to appear
legitimate.

Several warnings signs of these scammers are: 
1) pressure to give immediately,  often preying on your emotions and not logic 
2) a thank-you for a previous  donation you don’t recall making
3) a request for payment by cash, gift  card or wire transfer. 

The last are scammers’ favored payment methods because  the money is easy to access, difficult to trace and almost impossible to cancel.  A legitimate charity will welcome your donation whenever you choose to make it  and by whatever means you choose. A great way to verify their legitimacy is to  use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool at  https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/.  Additionally, clients should always ask for a receipt and then check their bank or  credit card statements to ensure the donation amount is accurate. If you think  you were a victim of a suspected scam, you can and should report them to the  Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.


How Advantage Tax Relief Can Assist You

At Advantage Tax Relief, based in Itasca, IL, we have over a decade of experience helping individuals and businesses resolve tax issues. Our team specializes in offering personalized tax relief and tax resolution solutions tailored to your unique needs.
We will work with you to assess your situation and explore your options, whether it’s an Offer in Compromise, installment agreements, or other strategies. Our experience allows us to identify the best path forward to ease your tax burden and guide you toward financial freedom.

If you're facing tax debt, don't wait. Advantage Tax Relief is here to assist you with effective, professional help.

Call Advantage Tax Relief today at 630-773-3200 to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward resolving your tax issues.

< Older Post

Understanding the Implications of the No Tax on Tips Rule

September 10, 2025

Understanding the Implications of the No Tax on Overtime Rule

August 29, 2025
First, working overtime does not mean you are getting an automatic increase in your take-home pay because it is not going to be taxed. That is not what is going to happen. The tax savings will be in the form of a tax deduction when you file your Federal tax return the following year. There will be no immediate impact. Second, it only applies for Federal income taxes. It does not include State, Social Security or Medicare taxes. Third, it also only applies to the overtime premium and within certain deduction and wage limits. You can only deduct the pay that exceeds your regular rate of pay. The 'half' portion of 'time-and-a-half' compensation. For example, say you make $20 per hour and work 5 hours of overtime that week at time-and-a-half. The deduction would the Federal tax on $50 of premium pay. ($20 divided by 2 times 5 hours) Finally, the maximum annual deduction is $12,500 for single filers and $25,000 for joint filers. The deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 (or $300,000 for joint filers).

Mid-Year Tax Checkup

July 8, 2025
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.
Show More →