It might feel far away, but April 15th is right around the corner. Each year the Internal Revenue Service compiles a “Dirty Dozen” list of the worst tax schemes and scams of the season. In 2016, the list includes such things as identity theft, phone scams and tax preparer fraud. KSFR’s Mary Lou Cooper brings us a series of reports to alert taxpayers to potential threats to their financial security. Today’s story explores how to pick an honest tax preparer…and how to avoid those who are unscrupulous.
Mary Lou Cooper has reported for KSFR for over a decade, focusing on consumer issues, health, politics, and more. She is a former US Congressional staffer and remains a political junkie to this day. Cooper has received journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, Associated Press, National Federation of Press Women and New Mexico Press Women. She grew up in Oak Ridge, TN and received her BA from Emory University in Atlanta and her MA from the University of Texas Austin. She holds fiction and screenwriting certificates from the University of Washington.