According to the Internal Revenue Service, tax-refund fraud jumped to $21 billion by 2016, from just $6.5 billion two years ago. Criminals can use your personal information such as your name, date of birth and Social Security number without your permission to commit fraud. With so many online filings available, it takes so little time to file a false return. Use Tax Form 8821, Tax Information Authorization, to fight identity theft. Form 8821 authorize any individual, corporation, firm, organization, or partnership you designate to inspect and/or receive your confidential information verbally or in writing for the type of tax and the years or periods listed on the form, and it also delete or revoke prior tax information authorizations. So by using Form 8821 and appoint yourself to receive communications and then if someone files a false tax return using your identity you would receive the information and take action to stop the tax-refund fraud and identity theft. You can avoid the fraud or recoup the money by letting IRS know that your tax refund has been issued improperly.
Fight Tax-Refund Fraud and Identity Theft by Using This IRS Form
