Identity theft

The Internal Revenue Service held a meeting of its Security Summit partners Tuesday in Dallas and reported on progress in battling identity theft tied to tax refund fraud, along with some setbacks.

More than 24,000 fraudulent tax returns were filed in 2015 using a prisoner’s Social Security Number, claiming refunds totaling over $1.3 billion, according to a new report.

An old banking procedure could add another layer of security to IRS return processing.

The Internal Revenue Service and its tax industry partners warned tax professionals Tuesday that takeovers of tax professionals’ accounts by cybercriminals are on the rise.

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Firms have more responsibility to protect client data than they may think.

The Internal Revenue Service and its Security Summit partners in state tax agencies and the tax industry have begun a new education campaign for tax professionals warning them against phishing emails.

The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee is recommending ways for the Internal Revenue Service to combat tax fraud and identity theft with better cybersecurity.

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson said in a report Wednesday the Internal Revenue Service ran a generally successful filing season this year, but it needs to assign more employees to taxpayer service instead of enforcement.

The Internal Revenue Service, along with state tax agencies and the tax industry, is cautioning tax preparers to beware of a new phishing scheme revolving around emails claiming to be from a tax software education provider.

The number of victims of employment-related identity theft is far larger than previously estimated and the Internal Revenue Service’s processes aren’t able to keep up, according to a new report.

The Internal Revenue Service is making strides in assisting victims of tax-related identity theft more promptly and making fewer errors on cases, thanks to a more centralized approach, according to a new government report.

Every accountant and tax pro should make these steps part of their cyber-security strategy.

The omnibus appropriations bill passed by Congress includes a number of priorities and directives for the Internal Revenue Service.

A grand jury in Georgia has indicted an Internal Revenue Service employee for stealing taxpayers’ identities and filing for tax refunds with their names.

The Internal Revenue Service’s new procedure for authenticating withholding information did not go completely smoothly this past tax season, although it did hold promise for combating identity theft and tax fraud.

As Tax Day looms near, cybercriminals will be making a strong push down the final stretch.

A data breach in the Internal Revenue Service’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, tool, which the IRS was forced to shut down last month, may have affected up to 100,000 taxpayers.

The home stretch of tax season will see fraudsters’ biggest push – but cybersecurity expert Kevin O’Brien says that taxpayers and tax professionals accountants will still need to protect themselves after that.

The Internal Revenue Service saw a sharp drop-off in tax returns in the first half of filing season, according to a new report.