Defend against identity theft this tax season, says Tax Department

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Identity theft and tax fraud cause financial nightmares for many New Yorkers every year, as unscrupulous scammers steal their tax refunds. The Department of Taxation and Finance on Tuesday recommended several ways New Yorkers can protect themselves and limit identity theft during tax season.

• File promptly.
• Protect (and/or destroy) any information or documents used for your return.
• Make sure your tax preparer is qualified and honest.
• Make sure they sign the return and give you a copy.
• Carefully go over every line of your return.
• Never sign a blank return.
• Report it whenever you think you may be a victim of identity theft.

It’s critical that taxpayers safeguard their personal information. Identity thieves continually adjust their tactics to take advantage of security lapses. We use analytics-driven processing systems to detect and stop fraud as it emerges.

Michael Schmidt, New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance

These tips represent a joint effort from the Tax Department, the Office of Information Technology Services, and the State Department’s Division of Consumer Protection.