During tax season—and at all times—protect your Social Security Number (SSN). Don’t carry it around with you and always shred documents that display it, rather than throw them out in the trash. If someone gets a hold of your SSN, he or she can file a tax return in your name and collect the refund, as well as apply for credit.
A tell-tale warning sign that a thief has beat you to doing your taxes: you get a letter from the IRS about a tax return you didn’t file or you can’t electronically file your tax return because of a duplicate SSN.
Other tax season smart moves include:
If you bring in the professionals. Know that some fraud rings front as tax preparation firms. Verify the status of your tax preparer’s license with the Better Business Bureau and IRS Office of Professional Responsibility. You can email the IRS at irs.gov with the name or company and their address to confirm they’re legitimate.
Monitor your mailbox. Be on the lookout for official tax forms and/or your refund check. If they’re late or look like they’ve been opened, contact the IRS right away.
Do direct deposit. That way, you don’t have to worry about potential theft of a check sent through the mail.
Scare and scam. One ploy is for thieves to contact you, pretending to work for the IRS. Sometimes, they’ll say you owe money and demand it right away. Other times, they’ll ask you to verify your personal information. If you get such an email, don’t open it and forward it to phishing@irs.com. The IRS wants you to know that it always contacts consumers through the mail before calling. If you do get a call, ask for the employee’s name, badge number and phone number. Then, call the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to determine if the caller is from the IRS. If you receive something in the mail, you can verify the number on the letter or notice on IRS’ website.
Safe storage. Keep your tax information on a password-protected or encrypted external drive, and store it in a safe deposit box or safe. If you need to store it on the computer, make sure the drive is encrypted, and that anti-virus software is installed and working.
Thoroughly destroy it. If you have tax information on an old computer or drive, use a hammer to completely destroy it, or an application to wipe out the data.
Ask us about identity theft protection today.
Have A Question?
Call us today at: (920) 596-3355
Sandie (Sandra) Wilz is the owner and an agent at Eastling Insurance in Manawa, Wisconsin. She is passionate about educating clients and prospects on what their insurance coverages mean and how having the correct coverage can give the client the peace of mind they would expect from their insurance protection. Sandie can be reached at (920) 596-3355.