New Way to Report Tax Fraud to the IRS

Column distributed by Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

Links to resources referenced:

• IRS: Whistleblower Office
  • https://www.irs.gov/compliance/whistleblower-office
    • Related column excerpt:
      • “The IRS Whistleblower Office administers claims from people who report ‘specific, timely and credible information about noncompliance with tax laws or other laws the IRS is authorized to administer, enforce or investigate.’ It also pays awards ‘to eligible individuals whose information is used by the IRS.’ The award amount is 15% to 30% of the proceeds collected.”
• IRS: How to know it’s the IRS
  • https://www.irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs  
    • Related column excerpt:
      • “If you received an IRS-related phone call, a link will take you to the webpage ‘How to know it’s the IRS.’”
• IRS: Data breach of your personally identifiable information
  • https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/data-breach-information-for-taxpayers#:~:text=The%20IRS%20stops%20most%20fraudulent%20tax%20returns.,correspondence%20from%20the%20IRS%20and%20respond%20quickly  
    • Related column excerpt:
      • “A data breach can lead to tax fraud, but not always. The IRS webpage ‘Data breach of your personally identifiable information’ states: ‘Not every data breach will result in identity theft, and not every identity theft is tax-related identity theft.’”
• Maine.gov: Office of the Attorney General
  • https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/3dcd9b7c-bce3-4685-bffd-f728ce96e2fd.html?7194ef805fa2d04b0f7e8c9521f97343  
    • Related column excerpt:
      • “The Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov offers guidance on how to handle a data breach. For example, in 2025 a major credit reporting bureau confirmed that a cyberattack exposed the personal data of more than 4 million Americans.”
• IRS: When to file an Identity Theft Affidavit
  • https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/when-to-file-an-identity-theft-affidavit#:~:text=Victims%20of%20non%2Dtax%2Drelated,related%20incident%20to%20the%20IRS.
    • Related column excerpt:
      • “If someone does file a tax return using your identity? The IRS ‘identifies a suspicious tax return based on hundreds of processing filters’ and pulls it for review, quoting the IRS webpage ‘When to file an Identity Theft Affidavit.’ The IRS will ‘send a letter to the taxpayer and will not process the tax return until hearing back from the taxpayer.’”
• IRS: IRS-CI issues fiscal year 2025 annual report showcasing banner investigative results
  • https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-ci-issues-fiscal-year-2025-annual-report-showcasing-banner-investigative-results
    • Related column excerpt:
      • “Tax fraud is likely to never go away. According to the IRS Criminal Investigation’s 2025 annual report, of the $10.59 billion in identified financial crimes during the fiscal year, $4.5 billion was due to tax fraud -- an increase of 111.8% from the previous fiscal year.”