Tax professionals now face more ID-theft protections when accessing the IRS Centralized Authorization File and Transcript Delivery System.
Tax professionals now need to call the Practitioner Priority Service to request that transcripts be deposited into their Secure Object Repository mailbox. IRS employees on other phone lines may not be authorized to provide transcripts through the SOR method.
If the IRS can't identify the caller, transcripts won't be delivered using the SOR but will instead go to the taxpayer's address of record.
Also, the service said fraudsters might use a compromised CAF to steal transcripts and other taxpayer ID information for fraud and other crimes. The agency places CAF numbers that it suspects have been compromised into a suspended status pending further review. The owner of the CAF number will be contacted to confirm if the number has been compromised.
Tax professionals should also beware of unsolicited scam emails asking for credential information such as a CAF number, EFIN or driver's license number, emails that may look like they come from the IRS or a tax software company. Tax pros who receive these should report them to
"Tax professionals continue to present a tempting target to identity thieves and fraudsters," said IRS return integrity and compliance services director James Clifford, in a statement. "With identity theft an ongoing concern, the IRS has taken additional steps needed to protect both tax professionals and their clients given the sensitivity and importance of the information involved. The IRS will continue working with the tax professional community on these issues to minimize burden on practitioners while also working to ensure the safety and security of this information."
More information about this issue can be found in a special alert issued today by the
