Overview of the Identity Theft Program

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.

Identity theft can be tax related or non-tax related. Two types of tax related identity theft are when a thief uses a taxpayer’s social security number (SSN) and other personally identifiable information for:

• Employment purposes
• Fraudulent filing purposes

If the taxpayer does have a tax related identity theft problem, the Identity Protection Specialized Unit (IPSU) will research the account, verify the taxpayer's identity, and issue a special Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) to the taxpayer. You may prepare returns for taxpayers who have received an IP PIN.

Being sensitive towards victims of identity theft is critical to assisting taxpayers through a confusing and frustrating situation. Remember, victims of identity theft are:

• Victimized by identity thieves, mostly through no fault of their own
• Trying to comply with tax laws by filing tax returns and paying their fair share of taxes