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Stay Scam-Free Don't let fraudulent tax preparers get the best of you.

By Carol Tice

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Everybody wants to save money on their taxes. But in your quest for the biggest refund, don't fall prey to tax preparers' scams.

In February, the IRS warned taxpayers to beware of shady preparers. In a recent Los Angeles case, tax preparer James Earl Wynn was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after cheating the IRS out of more than $75 million. Wynn created phony business partnership losses on the returns of more than 2,000 clients.

In another case, five individuals were indicted in September for orchestrating a $14 million tax fraud scheme. The fraud included preparing thousands of fraudulent income tax returns as well as creating false documentation.