Our government agencies can help advance the lives of older adults. For example, the IRS works every day to make sure older adults know about and claim the tax credits and deductions they qualify for, like the enhanced tax deduction for seniors that provided a benefit to more than 35 million taxpayers this past tax season.
The IRS also makes every effort to protect taxpayers from scammers who try to steal personal and financial data. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to these scams. It’s important to remember the IRS will never contact anyone out of the blue to demand money or personal information. They won’t make threats or insist people move their money, supposedly to protect it. Anyone who gets a call or message like that should stop and talk to someone they trust, or check out the Federal Elder Justice Coordinating Council’s website on imposter scams before taking action that could put their finances at risk.