Does Tax ID Theft occur only during tax season?
No! Tax ID Theft, just like any other cyber crime, happens every minute of every day. Thieves do not sleep or take vacations. See this link for more information: Who We Protect
Does Tax ID Theft target only seniors and other vulnerable taxpayers?
No! While cyber criminals love to prey on the seniors and retired individuals, the federal government’s statistics shows that anybody can become a victim, children and adults alike. See this link for more information: Who We Protect
I am already enrolled in a credit monitoring service through a major national company. Why do I need TaxLock?
Credit monitoring and/or freezing services could be beneficial for credit theft prevention. However, none of those can protect you against IRS tax ID theft. It is a different crime and it is perpetrated outside the paradigm of what credit protection can mitigate. See this link for more information: About Us
I thought my CPA was already doing something like this to help protect me from tax cyber-crime.
Hopefully, your accountant, EA or tax attorney has already taken some steps to prevent tax ID fraud. However, TaxLock offers a more comprehensive and revolutionary solution to fighting this particular crime than most tax practitioners have been offering on their own. See this link for more information: Home page
I went through the process of signing up for TaxLock services. But the system says that I live in a state that does not participate in the IRS IP PIN program. What do I do?
Unfortunately, the IRS has not yet added your State to the list of participating locations. Please talk to your Congressional Representative to urge the Congress and the Internal Revenue Service to expand the IP PIN program to include your home state. Contact Your U.S. Representative or any Member of the Joint Committee on Taxation at www.jct.gov
I don’t have a VISA or Mastercard. Can I still enroll in one of TaxLock’s programs?
You can try to enroll by providing alternate methods of identity authentication, i.e. Discover Card, home or car loans, etc. The IRS is working with the three main credit bureaus to authenticate your identity to ascertain who you are. This is done to protect you from the very criminals that TaxLock was created to fight. Neither the IRS, not TaxLock have control of what information the national credit bureaus retain about you. We have heard quite a few success stories when taxpayers were able to validate their enrollment via student loans or mortgages. See this link for more information: Home page
What if my cell phone number cannot be verified by the IRS as belonging to me?
No reason to panic! About 50% of US mobile phone numbers from every conceivable provider are not registered in the public domain as belonging to a specific individual. You will still be able to enroll into the IRS IP PIN program, but you might need to wait a few extra days for a validation code from the IRS. Those whose mobile phone was matched to their person during a registration process will get the PIN instantaneously. Otherwise, there is no other difference in how the process works or your membership benefits. Click this link to enroll: Home page
Will my IP PIN that I get to protect my identity and prevent tax ID theft be the same every year?
No. The IRS will issue a new PIN each year to prevent adverse consequences from an accidental loss of the PIN.
What if I forget my PIN. Can I retrieve it later?
Absolutely. First, you only need the PIN for the duration of one tax season to file one tax return. It will change next year anyway. But if you lost it before you had a chance to file this year’s return, there are multiple ways to retrieve it from the IRS. The easiest way is to do it online, but you can also get a copy mailed to your home address.
I am a tax practitioner. I know exactly what TaxLock is trying to achieve. I have been struggling with keeping myself and my loyal clients away from the identity thieves. But TaxLock seems to have found a perfect solution to this criminal pandemic. How do I sign up to be a part of TaxLock’s network of crime fighters?
We are certainly happy to help you help your clients. Click here to become a part of our success story Advisor Page