NEWS RELEASE
FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 13, 2016) – The Kentucky Department of Revenue (DOR) reminds taxpayers that they have until midnight Monday, April 18 to file their state and federal taxes because federal offices are closed in Washington, D.C. for the Emancipation Day holiday on April 15.
With the impending deadline, the department and the IRS are also warning taxpayers that email phishing and phone scam tactics may increase and catch some taxpayers off guard.
“Kentucky’s tax filing deadline mirrors the IRS deadline, which gives taxpayers three extra days this year to file their returns” said Dan Bork, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Revenue. “We want to make sure taxpayers are aware of the change and also to be extra vigilant should they receive suspicious emails or phone calls from people pretending to be from the IRS or the Kentucky Department of Revenue.”
To date, DOR has received 1.4 million returns, of which 97 percent have been filed electronically. Of those returns, more than one million were refund requests totaling $300 million. It currently takes about 11 days to process an error-free e-filed return.
This tax season, the department identified more than 20,000 potentially fraudulent refund requests. It takes longer to validate taxpayer identity on suspicious returns, which means it takes longer to process a refund request. Should the department question a return’s validity, a letter will be sent to the taxpayer asking them to take a short online verification quiz. Because information specifically relating to the taxpayer is needed to log in to the quiz, the taxpayer is the only one who can access it.
DOR has extended call center hours through April 18. Taxpayers can call 502-564-4581 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EDT or email individualincometax@ky.gov anytime.
Scams on the Rise
In conjunction with the IRS, the Kentucky Department of Revenue reminds everyone that scammers continue to prey on honest hard-working taxpayers through a variety of means. According to the IRS, these scam artists frequently masquerade as being from the IRS, a tax company or even a state revenue department.
By phone, many scammers use threats to intimidate and bully people into paying a tax bill. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the driver’s license of their victim if they don’t get the money. The IRS or the Kentucky Department of Revenue will never:
- Call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.
- Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
- Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.
- Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
By email, they try enticing people to click on links on official-looking messages containing questions related to their tax refund. If you get a phishing email, remember:
- Don’t reply to the message.
- Don’t give out your personal or financial information.
- Don’t open any attachments or click on any links. They may have malicious code that will infect your computer.
- Forward the email to phishing@irs.gov. Then delete it.
The IRS has more information through its Taxes.Security.Together. campaign online at https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Taxes-Security-Together.