The IRS Has Its Own Identity Problem

The IRS Has Its Own Identity Problem

The possibility of having your identity stolen and used by thieves and cybercriminals is a real concern. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has done a good job of alerting taxpayers to the threat, and educating them about taking steps to protect their personal information and financial data.

Perhaps too good a job.

In the past couple of months, several of our clients have received a legitimate notice from the IRS and have questioned the validity of the notice. Most of these clients have contacted Gray, Gray & Gray for help in confirming the authenticity of their notice. But we have to wonder if there are many more taxpayers out there who have become very skeptical of any attempt at contact by the IRS.

The IRS has created their own identity problem. A taxpayer who receives a notice from the IRS (or even from their state tax authority) has been conditioned to immediately be on guard against identity theft. We have no doubt that this has resulted in delays and missed deadlines on legitimate IRS business.

The best way to confirm whether or not a tax notice is real is to contact the IRS or state tax department to confirm its validity. DO NOT CALL THE PHONE NUMBER ON ANY LETTER YOU FEEL MAY BE SUSPICIOUS.

Also, please keep in mind that the IRS will not initiate contact with a taxpayer via email, text or social media, or request personal or financial information. Additionally, the IRS does not call taxpayers with threats of lawsuits or arrests.

If you have tax-related questions, please reach out to your contact at Gray, Gray & Gray.

We go beyond the numbers by delivering insight,

guidance and success to our clients.

Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP

781.407.0300

www.gggcpas.com

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The information contained in this communication (including any attachments and/or re-directs to other online sources) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code.