The Internal Revenue Service expands identity
protection to all tax‑payers
U.S. tax-payers will be able to enroll in the
Identity Protection PIN program that was previously available only to certain
users starting mid-January.
In an effort to battle
various flavors of tax fraud and tax-related identity theft, the U.S.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that, as of
January 2021, it will be expanding its Identity Protection PIN
Opt-In Program to all taxpayers , assuming they
can properly verify their identities.
Previously, the
Identity Protection PINs (IP PIN) were
issued to eligible taxpayers who had experienced tax refund
fraud or had been proven victims of identity theft. The IP PIN is a six-digit
code issued by the IRS that prevents someone else beyond the holder to file a
tax return in their stead using their social security number. The IRS uses the
IP PIN to verify the taxpayer’s identity when accepting their paper or
electronic tax return. The PIN itself is always valid only for the calendar
year in which it was issued, with the taxpayer having to get a new IP PIN each
January.
“The fastest way to get an
Identity Protection PIN is to use our online tool but remember you must pass a
rigorous authentication process. We must know that the person asking for the IP
PIN is the legitimate taxpayer,” explained IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in a press statement announcing the
program.
Using the Opt-In Program an
eligible person will be able to apply for an IP PIN by
using the IRS’s IP PIN tool. They will be required to pass through IRS’s Secure
Access authentication process to verify their identity. The whole
process which takes approximately 15 minutes, will require that the
taxpayer provides a slew of private information including their email
address, social security number, tax filing status and mailing address, mobile
phone number registered to their name, and a financial account number linked to
their name such as a credit card or mortgage.
Tax season is an already
stressful time for most people. This added extra layer of
protection can be seen as a welcome addition, especially since tax identity fraud has proven to be a persisting problem. If you’d like to learn more about the measures
you can take to avoid various forms of banking fraud and identity theft you can
also refer to the tips on fraud prevention shared by ESET Chief Security Evangelist Tony
Anscombe