By Nick Hopkins, CPA, CFP
Partner, Director of Tax Services
Many people look forward to receiving a tax refund every year – including some criminals who pose as taxpayers to fraudulently collect money not owed to them.
In order to better protect Hoosiers against identity theft during the tax filing season, the Indiana Department of Revenue has instituted new security protocols to protect sensitive information. This includes the use of automated identity verification services from LexisNexis to confirm the identity of Hoosiers owed a refund in 2014.
This could possibly lead to some confusion or delay in collecting some taxpayers’ refunds. You may even find yourself having to take a quiz in order to receive your check!
As part of the new procedures, some taxpayers will be selected to confirm their identities through a quiz. They will receive a letter from the Department of Revenue with instructions on how to complete the quiz. Having this added layer of security will save the state millions of dollars in tax fraud, according to their website.
The department states that those required to complete the quiz are not suspected of identity theft, but are part of the random sample selected. They should still receive their refund within 10 to 14 days if the return is electronically filed.
If you need help negotiating the state’s new security procedures for tax returns or have any other tax-related questions, please call Nick Hopkins in our Tax Services department at (317) 608-6695 or email [email protected].