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The Tahoe Tax-Aide Team has determined that it will not re-open for this tax season. The health and safety of our site staff, volunteers and taxpayers is our top priority, and the decision not to re-open was made with everyone's protection in mind.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offering online options to assist taxpayers affected by the suspension of in-person services:

• A self-prep option, providing free access to software so you can prepare taxes on your own, is available at aarpfoundation.org/taxaide Click on the "Get Help With Tax Prep" link.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Another telephone scam is being reported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) and they want to make sure residents, especially the senior population, are informed.

This latest scam is much like others in the past. Unidentified callers are telling the person answering the phone they have a warrant issued from the FBI. The scammer is seeking large sums of money, generally $2,000 to $,5000, be sent via the mail in the form of pre-paid gift cards.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A scammer attempted to get money out of a South Lake Tahoe business owner on Thursday, December 20 by pretending to be from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD).

The call came into the business from what looked like the police department's main phone line. The person on the other end told the owner he owed money on old credit cards and would be arrested if he didn’t pay up. The caller gave him a number to call, 512-333-2304, and when he called they asked for $1985.

He hung up and called police.

Today we are faced with broad challenges in our investing climate. Rising interest rates and high stock valuations can create unforeseen challenges.

Did you know that all investment income is not equal, at least in the eyes of the IRS? Let us start with some of the basics before we digress into more complicated subject matter.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) recently made connections with a senior citizen through their new Caring Neighbors Program. They found the senior had been scammed out of over $34,000 over the past 20 months.

In the program, a deputy and a volunteer visit seniors to obtain needed information such as consent, next of kin and medication information. The information is beneficial in case of a future emergency involving the senior citizen.

Two Douglas County senior citizens have fallen prey to a scam involving the purchase of gift cards.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has received multiple reports regarding a phone scam to local residents. Callers are identifying themselves to potential victims as an employee of the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). These phony IRS Agents inform the victim they have a warrant for their arrest or owe taxes. This is a scam. Callers claiming to be from the IRS tell intended victims they must pay using a pre-paid debit card, credit cards or wire transfer. The scammers threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver’s license.

There are a few openings for volunteer tax-aide counselors for the 2017 tax season to provide free personal income tax assistance in El Dorado County for seniors and low-to-moderate income residents under the AARP Tax-Aide program.

Teresa Marty will be spending the next ten years in prison after causing the IRS to pay more than $9 million in false refunds.

The 57-year-old Pollock Pines woman owned Advanced Financial Services (AFS), a tax return preparation business located in Placerville. She conspired with her office manager, Pamela Harris and Rebecca Bandera-Marty to file more than 250 fraudulent federal tax returns claiming more than $60 million in refunds.

Major impacts to communities in El Dorado County were made possible through $264,905 in grants for 2016/2017 from the El Dorado Community Foundation.

Funding for the came from community members who invested in the foundation through Donor Assisted Funds. Those donating to the fund were able to engage in a new process this year by reading the grant proposals (55 were received) and the year-end reports of the non-profits applying for them.

Indian police have arrested 70 people and are questioning hundreds more after uncovering a massive scam to cheat thousands of Americans out of millions of dollars by posing as U.S. tax authorities and demanding unpaid taxes, a police officer said Thursday.

South Lake Tahoe residents were not immune to the targeted scams.

According to police in Mumbai, the yearlong scam involved running fake call centers which sent voice mail messages telling U.S. nationals to call back because they owed back taxes.

The owner of Advanced Financial Services (AFS) in Placerville pleaded guilty to filing more than 250 false claims for refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) along with two of her employees. They all face large fines and years in jail.

Daniel Allen Coats, 34, of Turlock, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $8,938 in restitution for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing false claims for federal tax refunds while in prison.

Just as people are seeing some extra cash in their pocket with tax returns being processed, scams are on the rise in South Lake Tahoe, and elsewhere, trying to cash in on the extra dough.

In South Lake Tahoe last week, a woman who was selling furniture was caught up in a scam that ended up costing her $1,500, the same price she was selling the items for. According to El Dorado County Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Seligsohn, scams are getting more sophisticated such as the vacation rental scams, but the sold furniture scam this victim fell for is very common.

El Dorado Hills resident Jeffrey Lamson, 51, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to embezzle money from his former employer.

According to court documents, from at least 2009 through 2011, Lamson embezzled over $400,000 from a company located in Placer and Sacramento Counties while he served that company as controller. Lamson used company funds to make unauthorized payments to himself and others and made payments to a fictitious vendor, controlled by Lamson, for services that were never performed.

A South Lake Tahoe man who bilked 11 people out of $3.6 million will be spending the next 19.5 years in prisons.

Scott H. Summerhays, 56, made false statements and used phony documents to solicit the money from victims who thought they were helping him purchase the Genoa Lakes Golf Course.

On Monday, May 18, Senior U.S. District Judge Larry R. Hicks ordered Summerhays to prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution.

South Lake Tahoe residents are reporting being the target of a phone scam where people pretending to be from Liberty Utilities call and demand payment.

According to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, the caller tells the resident that they have a past due bill, and threaten to shut off their power if they don't pay the bill over the phone immediately.

A Placerville couple was arrested Tuesday and face criminal charges after federal investigators said they defrauded the government by filing false tax returns and false liens against IRS employees.

Charles and Victoria Tingler face conspiracy and other charges. According to an indictment, the Tinglers and Teresa Marie Marty, are charged with filing liens against the property of three IRS employees and filing liens of at least $84 million against the property of two U.S. Justice Department attorneys, according to a news release.

The AARP Tax-Aide program is the nation's largest free tax assistance and preparation service. Our IRS trained and certified volunteers can assist with most of the tax issues faced by low- and middle- income taxpayers. Your federal and state (California only) returns will be completed and filed electronically, for free. You do not need to be a retiree or a member of AARP to utilize this service.

When: Thursday afternoons, 2pm-6pm, and Friday and Saturday mornings, 9am - 1pm.
Where: South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

Douglas County Secret Witness and the Lake Tahoe Arts Council were among 52 nonprofit groups who had their tax exempt status revoked by the Internal Revenue Service during 2011.Most of the revocati...