TurboTax resumes filing state returns

Intuit,  the tax preparation software company that produces TurboTax, announced Friday that TurboTax has resumed e-filing of state income tax returns.  The company continues to work with the states as they build their own anti-fraud capabilities and will share best practices as it works toward the best interests of the taxpayer.

The company temporarily paused transmissions upon seeing an increase in suspicious filings and attempts by criminals to use stolen identity information to file fraudulent state tax returns and claim tax refunds. During that time, Intuit worked with states that had raised concerns over state tax fraud.

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers’ data,” said Brad Smith, Intuit president and chief executive officer. “We are taking this issue very seriously and from the moment it emerged it has been all-hands-on-deck.  We’ll continue to remain vigilant, but I am more than pleased that we were able to resume transmission for our customers within about 24 hours.”  

After working with third-party security expert Palantir on a preliminary examination of recent fraud activities, Intuit believes that these instances of fraud did not result from a security breach of its systems. As a result of that examination, which is ongoing, Intuit implemented targeted security measures to combat the type of fraudulent tax activity that it is seeing.  These additional steps include the implementation of Multi-Factor Authentication, a proven technology for protection against identity theft.

To assist any customers who believe they are victims of tax fraud, Intuit has implemented a plan that includes a dedicated toll-free number, 800-944-8596, with direct access to specially trained identity protection agents who will provide comprehensive support and filing assistance.

Last updated: February 7, 2015 2:50 PM

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Source: IRS
Last updated or reviewed: January 28, 2015