The Idaho Tax Commission is sending letters to taxpayers asking many of them to prove who they really are. It’s not a scam — it’s an attempt to stop fraud.
The Idaho Tax Commission is sending out verification letters again this year in an effort to stop scammers from getting your refund.
Renee Eymann is the Public Information Officer with the Commission. She says the goal is to verify it’s really you, before they cut a check.
“And I know it’s an extra step for people to take but identity theft is such a prevalent issue right now that we just want to make sure that you are protected and that the tax refunds are protected as well,” says Eymann.
The letters may ask you for documents that prove your identity. With fraud cases on the rise in recent years, Eymann says they started sending out letters in 2016. Last year, they sent more than 52,000 verification letters and saved $156,000 from going into scammer's pockets. The year before that, they prevented over half-a-million dollars in fraud.
She says if you get a letter, it’s important to respond with the documents or a phone call to the Commission.
“And once we get your information it will take about six weeks for us to finish processing your return and get your refund to you,” says Eymann.
This year, the Commission expects to get more than 876,000 individual tax returns. They’ll base the number of verification letters they send on the number of fraud schemes they see happening this tax season.
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