Business owners should be on the lookout for Scam letters requesting a fee in exchange for services. Among the many scam letters currently circulating are the following:
Certificate of Good Standing Request Form:
This scam letter requests that the business owner send a check to MD Certificate Service in Baltimore in exchange for a Maryland Certificate of Good Standing. These letters look legitimate, even going so far as to use the actual SDAT Department ID number of the business. This is a scam. If you need an official certificate of good standing, letters are available through the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation at https://dat.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx.
Form 4022 – Mandatory Beneficial Ownership Reporting:
This scam letter is purportedly from the United States Business Regulation Department requesting that you pay a filing fee for beneficial ownership reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act or be subject to severe penalties or imprisonment for noncompliance. This is also a scam. Actual reporting under the Act is done through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network at https://boiefiling.fincen.gov/. Please refer to our blog on the Corporate Transparency Act for information about the Act and the reporting requirements for business owners.
If you receive either of these letters, do not give the sender any money or information and provide a copy of the letter to a BGH representative.
For more information, please contact one of the experienced tax professionals at Bormel, Grice & Huyett, P.A. at 301-953-3259 or 410-792-7259
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