IRS Bolsters Security Measures for Tax Professionals
The IRS is rolling out enhanced protections for tax professionals and their clients to combat identity theft and refund fraud.
Suspicious CAF Numbers: Compromised Centralized Authorization File (CAF) numbers pose a risk, potentially allowing fraudsters access to sensitive taxpayer information. The IRS has implemented a process to suspend suspected compromised CAF numbers pending review and mitigation.
Transcript Requests: Tax professionals must now call the Practitioner Priority Service (PPS) line to request transcripts, ensuring secure delivery to their Secure Object Repository (SOR) mailbox. Enhanced authentication measures are in place, and transcripts will be mailed if caller identity cannot be verified.
Beware of Scams: Tax professionals should remain vigilant against unsolicited emails requesting credential information. Any suspicious emails should be reported to phishing@irs.gov.
These proactive steps aim to strengthen security and protect tax professionals and their clients from the persistent threat of identity theft and fraud. Ongoing collaboration with tax professional organizations and the wider community remains a priority for the IRS.
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