IRS Cracking Down on False Tax Credit Claims

The IRS is cracking down on people who don’t qualify for the first-time homebuyer tax credit but try to claim it anyway.

The IRS says it is investigating 24 cases of people who falsely claimed the first-time homebuyer credit on their federal income tax returns. Getting caught making a false claim carries a penalty of up to three years in jail and a fine of as much as $250,000.

The First-Time Homebuyer Credit, enacted in 2008 and modified in 2009, provides up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers. The purchaser must be someone who has not owned a primary residence in the previous three years. If the taxpayer is married, this requirement also applies to the taxpayer’s spouse.

The home purchase must close before Dec. 1, and the credit may not be claimed on the purchaser’s tax return until after the taxpayer closes and has purchased the home.

Source: The Internal Revenue Service (07/29/2009) and The Boston Globe, Chris Reidy (08/03/2009)