The Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) is warning that some tax refunds may be delayed during this upcoming tax season. The delays will stem from additional safeguards that ODT is implementing to better protect taxpayers.

Due to the continued increase of identity theft and tax fraud, these steps are necessary. ODT reports they intercepted a number of fraudulent income tax returns seeking to steal refunds last year totaling more than $250 million.

ODT states, to detect and counter refund fraud related to identity theft, an additional upfront filter will now be applied to all tax refund requests to analyze the demographic information reported on the return. This analysis will assign a “probability of fraud” factor that will determine how the return will then be processed.

Those returns flagged by ODT will be subjected to additional security measures and the taxpayer will be required to successfully complete an identification confirmation quiz before the return is approved. Those with flagged returns will be notified by mail by ODT and will be directed to their website to complete the quiz. Taking the quiz via telephone will also be an option.

These new security measures will slow the processing of both electronic and paper returns and the issuance of refunds. ODT estimates electronic returns requesting a refund may take up to 15 days to be direct deposited and checks that will be mailed for paper refunds could take up to 30 days.

For more information on these new security measures, H&M encourages you to visit the ODT web site at www.tax.ohio.gov

Contact H&M today with any questions you may have. We would be happy to assist you.