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Tax Return Identity Theft (IRS)

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Tax return and other tax related identity theft is a growing problem that CPAs can help their clients with. The IRS is trying to combat the fraud from their number one worst problem even though the proposed ways are extremely ambitious for many smaller businesses to comply with. Currently the IRS just doesn’t have enough resources to help thwart this problem, which is why it is up to CPAs to help inform their clients about the growing problem. CPAs can help their clients to take preventative actions and corrective actions after theft has happened.
Tax return identity theft occurs when a thief acquires another taxpayers Social Security number. The thief then files for false claims to refunds or other credits. Normally thieves will file early in the tax return filing season, usually before the IRS has received supporting documentation, to prevent information matching and avoid receiving duplicate return notices from the IRS. Taxpayers discover that they may be victims of theft when they receive a notice from the IRS stating more than one tax return was filed with their information.
Tax return identity theft grew to more than 2 million cases in 2011 from 51,000 in 2008. Tax return identity theft has resulted into $5.2 billion in false refunds. The previously mentioned statistics have grown, as expected, exponentially. …show more content…

The electronic filing method provides an electronic postmark confirmation that a return has been filed on time. Now refunds can arrive in as little as 7 days, which is great for the taxpayers that honestly deserve it. Since filing and preparing have become electronic, “…businesses like the do it yourself tax software programs (H&R Block’s Tax Software and Intuits’ Turbo Tax) have made it even easier for identity thieves to file false returns”

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