Taxpayer advocate highlights challenges for legit taxpayers tagged as fraudsters by the IRS – By Natalie Alms (Nextgov/FCW) / Aug 28, 2023
The only online remediation option for people whose tax returns have been flagged as potential identity theft is through vendor ID.me.
National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins, the head of an independent organization at the IRS meant to focus on taxpayer issues and rights, said in a recent blog post that as the agency looks to address increasing identity fraud, it also needs to do more to help any legitimate taxpayers whose returns are flagged as potentially being submitted by identity thieves.
The IRS screens tax returns to check if the income and wages are correct as well as “if the legitimate taxpayer truly filed the tax return,” the blog says.
When a return is flagged, processing is suspended and a letter is sent asking the filer to verify their identity so the tax return can be processed.
