Turbo Tax temporarily suspends e-filing

Data breaches at stores like Target, Home Depot and Albertson’s might make it harder for you to file your taxes.

Turbotax.com has temporarily shut down e-filing because they’ve seen an increase in suspicious tax filings.

According to Turbo Tax, they did not have a data breach. Their concern, is that criminals are using personal information they stole from those data breaches at places like Target and Home Depot to claim people’s tax refunds.

“Stolen identities and it’s realized as people file their taxes so if somebody goes and files their taxes and they get a message back that your taxes have already been filed that is a sure sign of identity theft,” said Dale Dixon, with the Better Business Bureau.

“Their name Social Security number or other information is out there. If they have that information they might be able to log into Turbo Tax and file on behalf of that tax payer,” said Doreen Warren from the Idaho State Tax Commission.

The Idaho State Tax Commission has looked into this.

“We have only identified a couple of those meeting the Turbo Tax situation so in Idaho the impact at this point is relatively minimal,” she said.

There are steps you can take so you don’t get scammed. Make sure you’re filing through a reputable source. Check with the BBB for background and reviews. Also make sure your Internet connection is secure.

“So you would not go and set up your laptop at a coffee shop and use the free Wi-Fi to file your taxes. That’s a dangerous situation because anybody has access to your computer and could see what you’re typing into the computer as you file your taxes,” said Dixon.

The biggest the tip the BBB has so you don’t fall victim to identity theft is to keep your Social Security number safe. Do not give it out to people calling, emailing or texting you asking for it.

If you filed your taxes with Turbo Tax, your personal information should be fine.
Again, Turbo Tax has not been breached.