ID Theft/Tax Fraud 

Preventing Tax Fraud

File Early
Filing early not only offers protection against refund fraud by closing the window of opportunity for a fraudster, but also ensures the shortest turnaround time for return processing and refund issuance.

North Dakota Driver License or State ID for E-filing
This filing season North Dakota, along with many state tax departments, is requesting additional information for electronically filed tax returns. This is an additional effort to combat stolen-identity tax fraud and protect you and your tax refund.

We ask that you provide the requested North Dakota driver license or state-issued identification card information when completing your tax return. Providing this information is voluntary. We will not reject your return if you do not provide the requested driver license or state-issued identification information. However, providing this information may help us to process your tax return more quickly.

Preventative Measures
Our office has put additional preventative measures in place to catch fraudulent filings. This may delay refunds. Please remain patient and use our Where's My Refund? tool to check on the status of your refund. Additionally, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been working with the state tax departments to combat ID theft and tax fraud. Click here to read more.

Have You Been a Victim of ID Theft?

If our office has reason to believe that you've been a victim of identity theft through a fraudulent tax return, we will contact you with a letter and recommended actions. You are encouraged to contact the following entities to report the theft of your identity:

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
  • ​Contact the IRS at 1-800-908-4490 for specialized assistance and to notify them of the identity theft to ensure they stop any fraudulent federal tax returns filed using your identity. You may be encouraged to complete Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit), which can be found at www.irs.gov.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
  • ​Contact the FTC by visiting their website at www.identitytheft.gov or at 1-877-438-4338 to obtain an Identity Theft Report and recovery plan. While the FTC does not require a police report, you may choose to file a report with your local law enforcement.
• Social Security Administration (SSA)
  • ​Contact the SSA at 1-800-269-0271 or visit their website at www.socialsecurity.gov. 
• Credit Bureau Contacts
  • ​Contact the national credit bureaus to request fraud alerts, credit freezes (also known as security freezes), and opt outs from pre-screened credit offers.
    • Equifax: Call 1-800-685-1111 or visit www.equifax.com 
    • Experian: Call 1-888-397-3742 or visit www.experian.com 
    • TransUnion: Call 1-888-909-8872 or visit www.transunion.com
• Financial Institutions 
  • Contact your financial institutions to make them aware that your identity may have been stolen.

Identity Theft Declaration

Complete our Identity Theft Declaration and return it to our office if you are a victim of identity theft.

Tax Scams & Data Breaches

Businesses, if you discover that your business has had a data breach go to the Tax Scams & Data Breaches page for information.