Identity theft has been and will continue to be a real threat. We make every effort to protect data used for income tax preparation. If you intend to send us sensitive data, an employee from our office can send you a ShareFile link directly.
If you are a victim of identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission recommends these steps:
Some taxpayers may receive an identity verification letter (known as Letter 5071C) from the Internal Revenue Service. Letters are mailed to the address on the tax return. The letter requests that taxpayers call the IRS to answer a series of questions designed to verify the taxpayer’s identity.
When calling the IRS, you must have the following:
Once verification has occurred, the refund is typically processed in about 6 weeks.
Telephone scammers pretending to be from the IRS have become increasingly aggressive. Please note that the IRS will NEVER:
1) call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill;
2) demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe;
3) require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a pre-paid debit card;
4) ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or
5) threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
An identity protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a return using your Social Security number. IP PINs are valid for one year. If you are a confirmed victim of tax-related identity theft, the IRS will mail you a CP01A Notice with your new IP PIN each year.
We recommend you sign up for individual accounts on the IRS and state websites. This will allow you to access your personal tax information, make payments, track refunds and more. To create an individual IRS account, go to https://www.irs.gov/your-account. To create an individual New York State tax account, go to https://www.tax.ny.gov/online/
