The Mississippi Department of Revenue has announced that is will be sending out Identity Validation letters again this year to validate the identities of personal income taxpayers filing returns. The identity validation letters are one of the tools the department is using to prevent fraudsters from receiving a refund as a result of identity theft. It’s very important not to ignore these letters. If a taxpayer receives a letter requesting them to take a quiz, they have 20 days from the date of the letter to go to the department’s website to take the quiz. If the taxpayer fails the quiz, they will have to provide documentation validating their identity. If the taxpayer receives a letter and they haven’t filed their return, they should not take the quiz. Instead, the taxpayer should notify the department’s offices immediately so the department can determine if a fraudulent return was filed using the taxpayer’s information.
News, Mississippi Department of Revenue, January 11, 2016
