So you hired a tax preparer. They’re the pro. You paid them a fee  - but what happens if there’s a mistake? Or worse yet, fraud.

Brandon Chanley, Chair of the California Tax Education Council (CTEC), chats with Richard Ernst, a former prosecutor for New York State's Attorney General.

Richard provides tales from the past about issues he's seen with tax preparers and how you can avoid fraud.

In California, only an attorney, CPA, CTEC registered tax preparer or IRS enrolled agent can do your taxes for a fee. Anyone who is preparing tax returns without one of those four legal designations is breaking state law. And there are thousands doing just that.

To find or verify the legal status of a tax preparer, visit ctec.org.