The IRS is urging taxpayers to take several steps now to make it harder for identity thieves to use stolen personal information to file fraudulent tax returns. In a September 4 security alert, the IRS and its Security Summit partners highlighted three tools that can add layers of protection: multifactor authentication, an IRS Identity Protection PIN, and a secure IRS Online Account. One of the easiest protections for individual taxpayers is an IP PIN—a six-digit number that helps the IRS determine whether a federal tax return filed using someone’s Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is legitimate.
