IR-2015-57: Taxpayers in Increasing Numbers Find Help from IRS.gov

IR-2015-57: Taxpayers in Increasing Numbers Find Help from IRS.gov March 20, 2015 follow above link to the IRS website for more information.

At the Vernal Equinox of 2015, the Internal Revenue Service have gathered some statistics based on taxpayer use of the IRS website www.irs.gov. 

This year more than ever users are making use of the many tools available on their website. 

11% more taxpayers have used irs.gov than they did last year in 2014. What is interesting to me is that the term eleven percent is relative to the other 88% - which is what?

The count of 11% of taxpayers is about 215 million users. Since March 13, 2015 "Where Is My Refund?, has been visited 164 million times in the last two weeks. 

From experience, I am sure that the same person, or firm may use the IRS website multiple times, even in the same day, but there is a decidedly larger bunch using the website this year. 

According to the article, there have been 15 (fifteen) million visits in the last seven days alone! 

?Cuando Recibire' Mi Reembolso? IRSvideosmultilingua

Where Is My Refund?

The second most visited link on the IRS.gov website, is "Get Transcript." So far in 2015, over 10 million people have ordered prior year tax returns from the IRS. Now that the IRS allows ordering on-line, it has made the process much faster. In the past the only way to get them was to visit you local IRS Office, or on phone, and/or by mail! Snail mail.

Obtaining Tax Transcripts by FAME Maine

There are many other handy tools available on the IRS website, such as; Request an Electronic Filing PIN, The Interactive Tax Assistant, Order Forms.

One other thing you may have noticed on the multilingual video placed within this article is that videos, pods, and other information can be found in many languages, as well as American Sign Language; 

ASL IRSVideos- Increase Fraud - The IRS Doesn't CALL!

It is my hope that your tax filing experiences are positive and that you are able to get the help you need with your Tax Return. 

IR-2015-54: Taxpayers Receiving Identity Verification Letter Should Use IDVerify.irs.gov

IR-2015-54: Taxpayers Receiving Identity Verification Letter Should Use IDVerify.irs.gov

DO NOT ACCEPT ANY PHONE CALLS FROM ANYONE SAYING THEY ARE FROM THE IRS ASKING FOR YOUR INFO** - THEY SEND LETTERS - LETTERS - LETTERS. THEY DO NOT CALL!

There have been reports that phishers, scammers and other thieves have come up with ways to take enough of a taxpayer's information that they are filing tax returns on unsuspecting citizens, who must go through months and possibly years of anguish over stolen refunds. 

Going in Person

There are a lot of laughs to be had in the movie, "Identity Theft" but it is not funny that it parallels the hell a person goes through when someone else decides to take a ride on their identity. 

Melissa McCarthy in "Identity Theft Trailer"

If you have any reason to think there is a possibility someone has stolen your identity, or you are a victim of identity theft, the video below gives simple information about what to do if this happens to you. 

IRS Video - YouTube - Identity Theft 

The IRS has a new tool called idverify.irs.gov. Taxpayers may receive a letter when the IRS stops suspicious tax returns that have indications of being identity theft but contains a real taxpayer’s name and/or Social Security number. 

Only those taxpayers receiving Letter 5071C should access idverify.irs.gov.

The website will ask a series of questions that only the real taxpayer can answer. 

Aside from waltzing into a local Internal Revenue Office with your 507-1C letter from the IRS,(which are usually contained in some type of Federal complexes, where you have to pass through metal detectors and be wand-ed by U.S. Marshall's), you can now go to "ID Verify dot irs dot gov and safely identify your identification. 

Pay attention to the bold warning when you land on the id verify site, because trying to use someone's personal information other than your own on that site will get you some serious trouble with State and Federal Law Enforcement, or maybe just the Internal Revenue Service, The Treasury and Department of Justice. It is not a very good idea. Those who do these things will get caught. It is a matter of time. 

For the hearing impaired, the IRS has informational videos to keep you in the loop as well, 
here are some Tax Scams.

                                     ASL: Tax Scams (Captions and Audio) - YouTube 

Here is hoping this is helpful in keeping you safe from #identityTheft or #TaxFraud.

• How To Place A Fraud Alert - Link to The Federal Trade Commission
• Report Fraud, Waste, Abuse - Link to Office of Inspector General , SSA

**unless you are already actively working with an agent at the IRS.