Tax Commission steps up fraud detection and prevention efforts

BOISE, IDAHO — Jan. 27, 2016 — Because identity theft is a very real and increasing threat, the Idaho State Tax Commission has partnered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the tax software industry to develop stronger fraud detection and prevention tools for all aspects of the tax filing process in 2016.

Idaho saw a 64 percent increase in stolen identities used to file Idaho income tax returns from 2014 to 2015. With only one week into this year’s filing season, some state tax returns have already been confirmed as fraudulent and others have been flagged as suspicious and are being investigated. To help protect you and any refund that may be rightfully yours, the Tax Commission may contact you for more information.

The Tax Commission mailed its first batch of verification letters to taxpayers this week, and if you receive one, you should take it seriously and reply quickly. One type of letter asks you to verify whether you filed a return by going online and entering some information that’s provided in the letter. The other letter asks you to verify your identity by taking an online quiz with questions that only you should know the answers to.  If you’re unable to do this online, you can mail copies of the documents requested to prove your identity to the Tax Commission. Your refund will not be sent until your identity has been verified.

“Tax-related identity theft today isn’t what it used to be,” said Doreen Warren, Revenue Operations Division Administrator for the Idaho State Tax Commission. “Criminals are becoming more and more sophisticated. As they evolve, we must evolve so we can hopefully stay one step ahead of them. We continue to refine our methods for detecting and preventing fraudulent returns,” she added.

Taxpayers can now visit our website at tax.idaho.gov to see videos about fraud protection, get tips on getting faster refunds, check their refund status, and read our Identity Verification FAQs on our new "Security" (tax.idaho.gov/security) webpage. They can also get other tax-related questions answered by calling the Tax Commission at (208) 334-7660 in the Boise area or toll-free at (800) 972-7660.

The deadline to file 2015 income taxes is April 18, which follows the federal income tax due date.