The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, along with the New York State Office of Information Technology Services and the Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection, shared important tips to help New York taxpayers block identity thieves and tax fraudsters.
File promptly using e-file and direct deposit of your tax refund. Filing your tax returns as soon as possible can reduce the likelihood that an identity thief will be able to claim a fraudulent tax refund using your stolen information. Filing electronically is also safer, faster, and more efficient than sending paper returns through the mail.
Taxpayers with income of $73,000 or less in 2021 can electronically complete and submit their federal and New York State income tax returns online at no cost. Free File software allows taxpayers to file from home, which eliminates the need to carry sensitive data outside a safe location.
Visit the Tax Department website, www.tax.ny.gov, to review different Free File options. Click “Free File your income tax return” on the Tax Department home page.
By choosing direct deposit for your tax refund, you’ll receive it up to two weeks sooner rather than having it mailed as a paper check.
Protect data and documents used to prepare your return. Keep sensitive personal information and documents safe during and after the filing process and delete or shred once no longer needed.
Be wary of unsolicited emails and telephone calls asking for personal information. Never share personal information, such as your Social Security number, in response to an unsolicited email or telephone call. If the email or call claims to be from a company with which you do business, call it first to confirm the contact is legitimate. Scammers will also use scare tactics and threats related to tax debt to get you to share your personal and financial information.
Use strong passwords. Create different passwords for all your accounts. When it comes to passwords, the longer the better – 14 characters is the current industry standard. Use a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and symbols. Consider passphrases, where you use the first letters of a memorable phrase to create a complex password that is difficult to guess. Regularly change your passwords/passphrases.
If you’re a victim or believe you may be a victim of tax-related identity theft, report it immediately at https://www.tax.ny.gov/help/contact/fraud/.
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