“A growing number of black taxpayers are being misled by scams falsely claiming they can get tax credits or refunds as reparations for slavery,” FOXNews reports.

“The Internal Revenue Service received about 80,000 tax returns last year claiming $2.7 billion in reparations refunds, up from 13,000 the year before. The majority of claims come from taxpayers in the South, but they have occurred in all parts of the country — including some involving Native Americans.”

Typical scams use terms such as ‘black investment taxes,’ ‘reparations for African-Americans’ or a ‘black inheritance tax refund.’

Promoters charge an upfront fee, sometimes a percentage of the promised refund, and provide a fake tax form for claims that frequently seek between $40,000 and $80,000 from the government.

These con artists often warn clients not to contact the IRS because the government doesn’t want the general public to know.

‘Promoters are shamelessly preying upon people,’ IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti said Thursday. ‘In the end, the victims discover their refund claims are rejected, and their money and the promoters are long gone.’

There is no law allowing the U.S. government to pay reparations or give tax refunds for slavery. Congress passed a bill after the Civil War allowing reparations consisting of 40 acres and a mule, but that was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson.

Wait, this is a scam? Next thing you’re going to tell me is that I shouldn’t expect my $60,000.00 check from Microsoft (y’know, for forwarding an email along to 50 of my former friends)…

Sigh.

—–