Coats Asks IRS Head Why Agency Fails to Alert Americans about Stolen SSNs

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen about the agency’s failure to notify American citizens when their Social Security numbers are used to fraudulently file tax returns.

During the hearing, Coats said the IRS is ignoring notifications from the Social Security Administration that names and numbers do not match. Additionally, he noted the agency is processing tax returns with false W-2 information.

“[Instead the IRS] issues refunds as if they were routine tax returns,” said Coats.

Following the hearing, the IRS informed Senator Coats that the agency has changed its policy and will now notify victims of employment-related identity theft. However, Coats said there are still many other steps that need to be taken to fully protect victims.

To watch Coats question Koskinen, click here.