What to Do If Someone Else Gets Your Tax Forms – Black Enterprise

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What to Do If Someone Else Gets Your Tax Forms

  • File Electronically
  • Last year alone, 99 million people—70 percent of all individual taxpayers—used IRS e-file to electronically transmit their tax returns, according to the government agency. With electronic filing, you can literally submit your taxes up until the very last second without penalty. E-filing is an easy and cost-effective method to filing your taxes. Plus, it does the math for you. If you’re concerned about not knowing all the credits you qualify for, remember, most software programs have step-by-step instructions, which increases accuracy and the possibility of receiving a larger refund. Those with an adjusted gross income of $58,000 or less may be able to use the IRS’s Free File option, where taxpayers use online software donated by TurboTax and other tax agencies.

Tax season can be a stressful time of year. You certainly don’t want to have to deal with identity theft on top of everything else competing for your attention. A recent article by Credit Bloggers discusses some action steps you can take in the event your tax information gets in the wrong hands.

One surefire red flag that something is amiss is if you don’t’ receive your W-2 from your employer by the end of January.

If this has happened to you, it’s time to head to your company’s human resources office to see if it’s possible the form was mailed to the wrong address.  Credit Bloggers suggests asking your employer to re-send the W-2 to your correct address or filing IRS Form 4852, Substitute for Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement.

If you’re concerned about identity theft, it’s also in your best interest to reach out to the IRS and alert them about your situation. You will also want to keep a close eye on your credit.


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