IRS Struggles to Combat Misinformation on TikTok
- HFM CPAs + Business Advisors
- Jun 18, 2024
- 1 min read
Going to TikTok for tax advice? You may want to think again. The IRS is facing a unique challenge in combating bad tax advice circulating on TikTok. Federal employees are restricted from accessing the platform, making it difficult to counter the spread of misinformation and incorrect claims.
The Journal of Accountancy recently detailed how the IRS has tried to warn taxpayers about tax misinformation that taxpayers find online. Erin Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate, was asked about the IRS’ challenge of combating tax misinformation at the recent AICPA & CIMA ENGAGE event in Las Vegas.
"If people are giving advice on TikTok, we can't give counter advice on TikTok," she said. On the other hand, she said, the people who accept tax advice from social media are "not reading a major newspaper. They're not going to IRS.gov and reading a press release, … so how do we get in their space and say, 'If [it sounds] too good to be true, it probably is'? How do we get a campaign going?"
Read the entire article here: National taxpayer advocate: TikTok a difficult adversary for IRS (journalofaccountancy.com)
Always consult a trusted tax professional for guidance on your tax situation. What you see online may be too good to be true.
