Tis the season for tax fraud.

• Position: FTB

With a new filing season fast approaching, an ongoing challenge faced is tax fraud. One aspect of tax fraud involves personal income tax returns, in which thieves file using highly suspicious W-2 forms and valid taxpayer information to obtain erroneous refund claims. This is also known as identity theft refund fraud. As tax professionals, you can help the FTB by being proactive when you suspect there may be something fishy about the return. Things to consider include:

* During your client interview process, be aware if your client can't answer simple questions.

* Scrutinize your client(s) W-2(s), look to see if all pertinent information...