It’s tax time! Avoid fraud and keep in mind new reporting requirements

You may have read about recent identity theft schemes in which thieves with hacked information attempt to obtain a fraudulent tax refund by filing returns with stolen information. Usually the goal is to have the fraudulent tax refund directed to a thief’s account before the victim has a chance to file his or her real tax return.

The IRS PIN program helps thwart these attacks by providing you with a unique PIN that must be used on your tax return. Usually this program is only offered to those who have already been the victims of identity theft, but all Florida residents are now eligible to participate. For details please refer to the IRS website.

Also, remember that in addition to filing your W-2, the IRS has imposed an additional requirement beginning with the 2015 federal income tax reporting year. Information from IRS Form 1095-B and/or Form 1095-C must now be included with individuals’ income tax return. See the January issue of UF at Work for further details.