The IRS’s “Get Transcript” application has fallen into the hands of unauthorized individuals who have gained access to IRS information. This data included taxpayers’ Social Security information, day of birth, street address, and contact information.

It was in May of 2015 when the IRS initially announced that an unauthorized third party had access to the system which had taxpayers’ private information. The third party gathered adequate information from a source outside the tax agency to access the IRS’s Get Transcript application. This means the third parties passed a multi-step authentication process which included several personal validation questions that taxpayers are required to answer. The third parties with taxpayer information cleared the Get Transcript verification process 114,000 times. The third parities made an additional 111,000 attempts that failed to pass the final stage of verification. Therefore, they were unable to access the full amount of personal information of the taxpayers.

This problem motivated the IRS to make a deeper analysis over an extensive time period which covered the 2015 filing season. This required examining more than 23 million uses of the transcript application. After further review, the IRS identified an additional 220,000 attempts where individuals with taxpayer data cleared the transcript verification process. Similarly, 170,000 alleged attempts were unable to pass the authentication process.

To resolve this issue, the IRS has started mailing letters to taxpayers whose accounts have been accessed by the third party. The IRS believes this information could have potentially been from filing fraudulent tax returns during the upcoming 2016 filing season. Therefore, anyone who receives a letter should take initiative to protect themselves by using the free credit monitoring and IP PIN which can be used to confirm the validity of next year’s tax return.

This situation could happen to any taxpayer. At Lothamer, we take privacy and security very seriously. We have a strict security policy when handling clients personal information. We understand how stressful dealing with a tax problem is. We strive to promote a professional and safe environment for our clients. Lothamer Tax Resolution is a firm you can trust with your personal transcripts. The IRS handles a high volume of taxpayers, while Lothamer Tax Resolution helps individuals with their tax problems more personally and effectively. Schedule your FREE first consultation with us today.