Sure, we are a professional tax software company, but we are also human and sometimes we need protection too.
One of our Account Managers, Mike, was feeling the weekend closing in fast. He told himself – I worked hard all week long! I’ll swing by and get some gourmet pudding – a reward for a job well-done. I can’t wait to eat it by myself – without my kids, wife or dog trying to snatch it from me.
One of our Account Managers, Mike, was feeling the weekend closing in fast. He told himself – I worked hard all week long! I’ll swing by and get some gourmet pudding – a reward for a job well-done. I can’t wait to eat it by myself – without my kids, wife or dog trying to snatch it from me.
Approximately 10am – Mike pauses for a quick stretch and trip to the refrigerator to retrieve his reward. Wait….It isn’t there…..There is no pudding sitting on top of his Lunchable where he left it. It was nowhere to be found. His Friday just took a nosedive…enter heartbreak.
What kind of a person steals a special reward from an honest, hardworking, person? He felt violated, frustrated and hungry, but not nearly as intense or devastating as a victim of tax refund fraud would feel. Much like pudding, many taxpayers work hard all year long to get their hard earned refunds. Some use them as a reward; some need them to make ends meet. Most of them don’t even know a thief is watching their money. Alas, the IRS may finally have our backs this year.
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen is now taking steps to help eliminate refund fraud. The IRS is working to implement a program called Refund Fraud Information Sharing and Assessment Center (ISAC) for tax year 2015. This will allow fraud to be caught easily as long as the systems are correctly reported as requested.
Koskinen stated that this will be a continued effort that will focus on protecting taxpayers information and privacy. “Working together we can achieve results that none of us, working alone, could accomplish,” he stated.
That’s the ticket Mr. IRS Commissioner, it’s about time! Wherever this inspiration came from, we sure hope it is here to stay!
