Washington News

On July 7, 2026, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it was joining with its Security Summit partners to present a five-week series related to identity theft threats. The title of the series is "Protect Your Clients; Protect Yourself."

The Security Summit is in its eleventh year. The campaign is comprised of the  IRS, state tax representatives and tax software company representatives who join together each year with a primary goal of preventing tax identity theft.

The 2026 campaign will focus on the new and creative scams that are aimed at tax professionals. There are Nationwide Tax Forums planned this summer in New Orleans, New York City, Orlando and San Diego.

IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano stated, "Tax professionals play a critical role in the line of defense against tax-related identity theft and attacks on the integrity of the tax system. The 2026 summer series gives tax pros practical steps they can take now to protect client data, strengthen their businesses, and to stay ahead of scam artists and their evolving schemes to defraud taxpayers."

Taylor Rodier, a Security Summit partner and Legislative Affairs Manager at Drake Software, emphasized the importance of protecting taxpayers. Ms. Rodier noted, "Practical security steps, early reporting and continued collaboration are among the best tools we have to fight tax-related identity theft, and we are proud to work with our Security Summit partners to help tax pros stay ahead of an ever-evolving threat landscape."

There are several specific strategies that are used by identity thieves. Tax professionals should continually update their knowledge of security basics and train employees to watch for these red flags:

1. IRS Impersonation — The scammer may use email, text, spoofed caller ID or computer-generated calls to victims. The scammers have great expertise in pressuring a victim to click a link, open an attachment containing a malware program or share sensitive financial information.
2. Social Media Tax Advice — Many individuals are vulnerable to scammers who use social media to publish false tax information. Inaccurate social media advice may convince taxpayers to claim credits for which they are not qualified for, file for improper refunds and purportedly avoid all taxes, interest and penalties.
3. New Client Scheme — The fraudster will pose as a prospective client. After a series of emails to the tax professional, the fraudster has established a working relationship. He or she then sends information that may be needed by the tax professional for tax preparation. However, this email may include a link or attachment that downloads malware to the computer and network of the tax professional. The scammer uses the stolen information to file false returns for the clients of the tax professional and claim large refunds.
4. Sophisticated Phishing Emails — Scammers continue to become more proficient at sending “phishing” emails to tax professionals. A common goal is to acquire the tax professional’s Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN), Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) or the Centralized Authorized File (CAF) number. The scammer may use these numbers to file fraudulent tax returns.

Tax professionals who believe they may be a victim of a data breach should notify the IRS Stakeholder Liaison assigned to their state. The IRS Liaison will ensure that the appropriate IRS offices are given notice of the breach. With this notice, the IRS can take steps to reduce the risk that there will be fraudulent returns filed in the name of taxpayers who are clients of a tax professional. The tax professional should also report any data breach to the appropriate state tax agency. There is a webpage hosted by the Federation of Tax Administrators to report to the appropriate state individuals.

For each week in the series, the IRS plans to highlight security strategies in this summer campaign. Week two will focus on phishing and spear phishing strategies by scammers. During week three, the IRS will outline the steps for creating a Written Information Security Plan designed to keep taxpayer information safe and secure. Week four will cover specific security tools, including multi-factor authentication, Identity Protection Numbers (PINs), IRS Online Accounts and Tax Pro Accounts. Week five will highlight signs that indicate there has been an identity theft and explain the procedures for reporting the theft.

Editor's Note: The Security Summit outlines strategies used by fraudsters each year. However, those strategies continue to change, and fraud efforts are advancing rapidly through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). With enhanced and improved AI fraud strategies, there are greater risks from fraudsters and scammers for both taxpayers and tax professionals.