Fuel tax credits, offshore accounts at top of IRS "dirty dozen" list

The Internal Revenue Service recently released its annual list of "Dirty Dozen" tax scams that included improperly claiming fuel tax credits, using offshore accounts to hide income and disguising ownership of a business through shell companies.

The list also noted other areas of IRS concern, such as the mis-use of tax-exempt organizations to shield income or assets from taxation and the misuse of trusts to reduce taxes.

“There is no secret formula that can eliminate a person’s tax obligations, " said Acting IRS Commissioner Linda Stiff in a statement. "People should be wary of anyone peddling any of these scams.”