News & Analysis as of

Internal Revenue Service Data Breach Tax Returns

The United States Internal Revenue Service is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury. The IRS is charged with collecting revenue and enforcing the Internal Revenue Code.  
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

“Littlejohn Notices” Continue to Cause Big Headaches for Taxpayers

Earlier this year, the IRS confirmed that over 400,000 taxpayers were victims of IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn’s 2019 leak of taxpayer data, which is discussed here. Littlejohn stole IRS data that included taxpayers’...more

Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.

Holding Government Contractors Accountable: Safeguarding Taxpayer Data

Taxpayer confidentiality isn’t just a legal technicality—it’s a fundamental pillar of trust in the U.S. tax system. Federal law is designed to ensure that individuals and businesses can comply with tax obligations without...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

More Taxpayers Hit with “Littlejohn Notices”, Leaving Many Not so Merry

In April 2024, the IRS sent notices informing more than 70,000 taxpayers that their tax and personal data had been stolen in 2019 by a former IRS contractor, Charles Littlejohn. Littlejohn not only stole the data of hundreds...more

J.S. Held

How to Defend Against Identity Theft This Tax Season

J.S. Held on

In recent years, identity theft cases have surged, especially during tax season. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in 2022, the federal agency identified and prevented USD 5.7 billion in tax-related fraud, and...more

ArentFox Schiff

IRS Data Leak Hits Home: Actions for Taxpayers in the Wake of the Littlejohn IRS Data Breach

ArentFox Schiff on

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has begun the process of informing over 70,000 taxpayers that their confidential tax information was leaked in a widespread breach by a former IRS contractor. Those impacted should take...more

Foster Garvey PC

The IRS Continues Taking Measures to Enhance Security – the EIN Application Process Changed Earlier This Year

Foster Garvey PC on

With data breaches becoming a common event throughout the world, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has been undertaking a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing its security of taxpayer information and preventing the...more

Snell & Wilmer

Taxpayer Cybersecurity – Step 5: Create a Data Theft Recovery Plan

Snell & Wilmer on

The Security Summit, consisting of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), state tax agencies, and private-sector tax industry officials, is encouraging tax professionals during the 2019 summer season to take some time to...more

Fisher Phillips

Employers Take Note: Tax Season Phishing Scams on the Rise

Fisher Phillips on

It is tax season once again, and with it comes an increased threat of phishing scams targeting human resources and payroll personnel. In 2016, the IRS alerted employers to a then-emerging email phishing scheme in which...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Security, Privacy and the...

Stolen Tax Returns? Virginia Seeks a Solution.

Did someone steal your tax return? You are not alone. Indeed, the rise in tax-related identity theft has been well documented. In 2015, the FTC reported a 50% increase in identity theft complaints. A primary cause for...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

Treasury Inspector General Slams IRS for Lack of Strategy Following 2015 Data Breach

In a scathing report published on March 27, 2017, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration blasted the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) following its analysis of the IRS’ steps following a data breach in 2015 that...more

Nossaman LLP

IRS Data Breach Class Action Dismissed

Nossaman LLP on

Last week, the Internal Revenue Service successfully defeated a putative class action related to a data breach it suffered in 2015. The D.C. District Court’s decision dismissing the suit demonstrates the high bar required to...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

Government report critiques the IRS’ handling of 2015 data breach

According to a government report publicly released last week, the IRS failed to adequately respond to a May 2015 cyber-attack on its “Get Transcript” application that potentially compromised at least 621,000 taxpayer...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

Privacy Tip #28 – What do you do if you are a victim of IRS tax fraud?

It’s tax season. The dreaded April 15 federal tax filing deadline is looming. You try to be diligent, and you file your tax return early, hoping to get an early refund. But when you try to e-file your return, it gets rejected...more

McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC

Fraud Alert: Computer Hackers Target HR and Payroll Departments – Guard Your W-2s!

Have you by chance recently received an email from your company’s CEO requesting copies of employee W-2 forms? If so, don’t respond without first verbally confirming that the request is legitimate. Several of our clients in...more

BakerHostetler

Don’t Get Phished! Hackers Pose as CEOs to Steal Tax Information from HR and Payroll Professionals at Healthcare Organizations

BakerHostetler on

Every tax season is plagued with scams to defraud individuals and companies for money from tax returns. However, this year has started off with a bang and this means that the healthcare industry has another reason to worry....more

King & Spalding

Senate Legislation Seeks To Protect Taxpayer Data In Response To IRS Data Breach

King & Spalding on

On September 11, 2015, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced a bill aimed at combating identity theft and tax rebate fraud. The legislation comes as the Internal...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

32 alleged IRS hackers arrested

The federal government has arrested 32 members of the Insane Crip gang and charged them with 283 counts of criminal conspiracy, 299 counts of identity theft, 226 counts of grand theft and 58 counts of attempted theft through...more

King & Spalding

The IRS Acknowledges Data Breach Worse Than Reported

King & Spalding on

On August 17, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) announced that a breach of U.S. taxpayers’ personal information, first disclosed in May, was three times worse than previously thought. While initial reports indicated...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

IRS sued in putative class action for lax security

Following the IRS’ admission that its data breach was actually larger than it originally reported and caused fraudulent tax returns to be filed affecting over 330,000 taxpayers, the IRS was sued this week in a proposed class...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

IRS admits 334,000 victims of fraudulent tax refunds due to security flaws on website

Not only did the IRS lose a flash drive with 12,000 school worker’s Social Security numbers on it in Texas, it admitted on August 17th that its initial estimate that 110,000 taxpayers’ personal information was used to file...more

Lowndes

IRS Admits Security Breach More Extensive

Lowndes on

Earlier this year, the IRS announced that identity thieves had been able to hack one of its computer databases and gain access to extremely sensitive data.  Back then, the IRS indicated that about 225,000 households had been...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

Data processing company hit with class action lawsuit for data breach and Judge denies class certification the next day

Advanced Data Processing, Inc. and Intermedix Corp. were sued in federal court in Florida last week for violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for failing to protect the health information...more

Robinson+Cole Data Privacy + Security Insider

25 year old sentenced to 13 years for hacking data broker databases

The Department of Justice has announced that 25 year old Hieu Minh Ngo has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. His sentence was lighter than expected because he has cooperated with authorities to catch more identity...more

King & Spalding

IRS Data Breach Draws Congressional Ire

King & Spalding on

Responding to the recently disclosed Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) data breach, congressional leaders are demanding answers from the agency regarding its handling of confidential tax information. Senate Finance Committee...more

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