Tax time is normally a welcomed occasion for many people all over the U.S. Specifically, those people who believe that they are going to receive a refund. For others, tax time is often a dreaded experience, particularly since some people may not know what their financial responsibility will be until the amount has been calculated. Even though each experience may not be the same, there are some common issues that both types of taxpayers should be aware of today. One problem, in specific, involves tax time and the impact of identity theft. Unfortunately, this type of problem can occur more frequently than many may envision. So, it is important that people know what these tax tricks, tips, and identify safety issues entail.
IRS and Identity Theft is a Bigger Problem than Most People think
According to information published in the tax year 2013, identity theft is a huge issue for those who are victims of this kind of fraud. It is also important to note that these victims may not receive a resolution to their issues in a short time frame. This is because the average time for receiving the appropriate response to these problems is about 278 days. So, these are issues that you want to avoid. Having said that, here are 5 ways to make sure identity theft does not happen to you.
Tips for Avoiding these Problems
#1 – Leave Your Social Security Card at home. Because many of these problems come from the use of a stolen social security card information, people can avoid these tax tricks issues by not carrying their SS cards around with them.
#2 – Don’t Share Your SSN – Keep the number private. It is important to know when your social security number is really required and when it’s not. Even though many businesses may ask for the number, it’s not always a mandatory piece of identification.
#3 – Shred tax documents and bank statements for Identity Safety
There are several common trap doors that people can use to gain access to your information. So, it is best to shut these areas down before anyone can cause identity theft problems with your information. One of the most commonly known is discarding tax and bank statements improperly. For instance, people should always shred tax information and bank statements before throwing them away.
#4 – Be aware of Unscrupulous People and Scammers
Keep Your mailbox locked. If there is any way for an identity theft thief to get to your information, they will. Specifically, when you do not keep your mailbox locked. You should also be aware of the fact that that there are scams in some areas too. In fact, some people are also making calls to residences posing as IRS Agents in order to obtain sensitive data.
#5 – Be Careful about Computer usage and Tax tricks used during these times. Don’t Leave Computer Unattended with Personal Info Displayed and be conscientious about shutting it down before stepping away. To avoid any compromising situation, computer users should also be diligent about what they release to others, especially because some people are experts in gathering data by phishing.
