I recently received an official letter from a state that I have never lived nor preformed business in. This letter was from the state’s tax department informing me they needed more information before they could respond to my request for a tax refund. The next day I received another letter from a second state. Then one from the IRS. I learned from the second state that this request had been done using my wife and my names in six states. The good news is the states taking measures to catch these false claims simply by asking for more information.

In my case, the individuals were not trying to receive a tax refund since no taxes had been paid. They were trying to get benefits from each state. It is not known what specific benefits, but trying to collect whatever benefits they can from each state.

This is very troubling and of significant concern. What is happening? What is at risk? I contacted our banker and accountant to discover that this is not an unusual event any more. This article by Money Magazine, http://time.com/money/3709141/stolen-tax-refund/, gives a great deal of information about what is happening. More importantly, article provides very helpful advice on what to do and how to handle the situation.

The article outlines steps that are imperative for situations such as this. It is a priority to follow the outlined steps to ensure the records in those states are corrected. Additional steps will be taken to protect us from impact to our credit as well as possible tax fraud.

As a side note, our federal tax return is on an extension. In those other states, a tax return has not been, and will not be filed. You have to stay alert; as you never know how someone is accessing and then using your personal information to defraud you. In my case, I have no idea how they found our information and do not believe we will ever know.

As our client you are very important. We will continue to provide you with information that will protect you and your family today and in the future.

Contributed by Morris Hall Phoenix Estate Planning Attorney and Senior Partner, Dan R. Morris.

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You have a number of options when it comes to estate planning, so why pick Morris Hall? First off, estate planning and asset protection are a very complicated endeavor and you should only trust someone who focuses exclusively on those matters. Also, Morris Hall is a proud member of The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA) which provides us additional support, advanced training, tools and information that is not available to others – which means that we can better protect your assets and your loved ones. We are one of only three firms in Arizona that belong to the AAEPA and are the only firm in New Mexico that has been granted membership. If you have assets and loved ones that you want to protect, you are in good hands with Morris Hall. Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment!

This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.