ALL Tax Alert: The IRS has announced that its Electronic Filing Personal Identification Number (e-File PIN) tool is no longer available due to additional cyber-attacks on the system. Although it was attacked earlier this year, the e-File PIN tool was retained by the IRS because links to the program were embedded in many commercial tax software products. However, as a safety measure, the IRS has shut down the site, effective immediately. According to the IRS, elimination of the tool should have minimal effect on taxpayers since an e-File PIN is generally not needed to file a return. Most taxpayers use their adjusted gross income from the prior year to validate their current-year return.
History of Cyber-Attacks:
In February, the IRS announced that cybercriminals using taxpayer data stolen elsewhere and an automated bot attack program accessed more than 100,000 e-File PINs through the tool. The tool only reveals the PIN. It does not reveal any taxpayer data. Criminals used taxpayers’ names, addresses, filing status, dates of birth and Social Security Numbers which they obtained from other sources to access the e-File PIN in an effort to file fraudulent returns.
This will not affect ALL clients who use the firm to file their returns. If you have any questions please contact us.
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