Check out tax season tips

It’s officially tax season, a prime season for identity theft. Yesterday, the IRS started accepting electronic tax returns.

It’s important to choose a tax preparer wisely. Here are some tips to keep in mind this tax season:

The IRS says to look for an IRS tax preparer identification number.

Avoid people who base their fee on a percentage of your refund, and note if your preparer doesn’t ask for receipts.

Not asking enough questions about deductions and credits could be a warning sign that something is wrong.

Also, never sign a blank tax return.

never give your personal information over the phone, or online, unless you started the conversation and can confirm the identity of your tax professional or an IRS employee.

If information on your return is missing or wrong, that can also be a red flag.

Finding out that more than one tax return was filed for one person in a year is a common example of identity theft.

Also, IRS records pointing to more wages than actually earned, which could mean that someone is using your information to steal your money.