The Internal Revenue Service and the Security Summit partners remind tax professionals to stay alert against new and ongoing threats of tax-related identity theft this summer. In its eighth year, the "Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself — Summer 2023" campaign focuses on raising awareness among tax professionals about the importance of maintaining strong security. This can help protect sensitive taxpayer data that tax professionals have while also protecting their business from identity thieves. Tax professionals are prime targets of criminal syndicates that are both tech- and tax-savvy and well-funded. These scammers either trick or hack their way into tax professionals' computer systems to access client data. Even when tax pros think they have client data stored in a secure cloud, lack of strong authentication can make this information vulnerable. Thieves can use stolen data to file fraudulent tax returns. This makes it more difficult for the IRS and the states to detect because the fraudulent returns use real financial information. Other data thieves sell the basic tax preparer or taxpayer information on the web so other fraudsters can try filing fraudulent tax returns. News Releases IR-2023-147, Security Summit: IRS reminds tax pros to plan, protect, defend against identity theft; special summer series concludes with important reminders IR-2023-143, Security Summit reminder: Identity theft red flags tax pros should know IR-2023-138, Security Summit: Tax pros should remain vigilant against phishing emails and cloud-based attacks IR-2023-134, Security Summit: Identity Protection PINs are an important tool against tax-related identity theft IR-2023-131, Taxpayers see wave of summer email, text scams; IRS urges extra caution with flood of schemes involving Economic Impact Payments, Employee Retention Credits, tax refunds IR-2023-129, Specially designed Security Summit plan helps tax pros protect data; summer security series begins IR-2023-124, IRS, Security Summit announce special summer series as Nationwide Tax Forums begin; tax pros should remain vigilant against identity theft amid continued threats Printable posters (e-posters) Publication 5461-D, Tax professionals should review their security protocolsPDF Publication 5709, How to Create a Written Information Security Plan for Data SafetyPDF
