With income tax fraud and identity theft on the rise, the Department of Revenue is committed to safeguarding taxpayer dollars by increasing security measures. The identity validation and PIN verification letters are just some of the tools the Department of Revenue is using to prevent fraudsters from receiving a refund as a result of identity theft. We will be sending out the Identity Validation letters again this year as well as the PIN verification letters to validate the identities of taxpayers filing returns. It’s very important not to ignore these letters. If you receive an identity letter requesting you to take a quiz or a PIN verification letter requesting you to validate the PIN number provided, you will have 20 days from the date of the letter to go to our website to take the quiz or to validate the PIN in Taxpayer Access Point (TAP). If you fail the quiz, you may contact our customer service representatives Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during regular business hours at (601) 923-7700 for assistance. If you receive a letter and you have not filed your return, please do not take the quiz or validate the PIN number. Instead, you should notify our offices immediately so we can determine if a fraudulent return was filed using your information.
Frequently Asked Questions about Identity Validation and PIN Verification letters:
- Why did you get this letter?
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Mississippi DOR is focused on protecting you and your identity. Identity theft and refund fraud are two top cybercrimes. We are implementing this safeguard to prevent someone else from stealing your identity and your tax refund by filing a false tax return in your name. Please note that the Mississippi PIN Verification letter is different from a PIN letter that you may receive from the Internal Revenue Service.
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How do we select people to take the quiz or receive a PIN letter?
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Factors that prompt returns to be selected for the quiz or PIN letter are based solely on analytics. Returns will be selected where various factors indicate the possibility of identity fraud. When this happens, we will require the taxpayer to take an identification quiz or to validate the PIN number mailed to them to prove their identity before processing the refund.
- What if I don't have internet access?
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Most public libraries provide internet access to citizens. You can also call to take the quiz or validate the PIN number over the phone by calling our customer service representatives Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (601) 923-7700 for assistance.
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What happens if I fail the quiz?
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You can contact our customer service representatives Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (601) 923-7700 for assistance.
- How does the process work?
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Taxpayers selected to take an identity quiz will receive a refund validation letter asking them to complete the quiz within 20 days. The quiz consists of five multiple choice questions. The quiz can be taken online or with assistance from one of our customer service representatives. Once the quiz is complete, taxpayers will know immediately whether they passed or failed the quiz.
Taxpayers selected to receive a PIN letter will be mailed a PIN number that has to be entered on our Taxpayer Access Point (TAP) website within 20 days.
No refund will be paid until a quiz or PIN is passed.
- What if a taxpayer is unable to take a quiz or verify a PIN due to physical or language barriers?
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They can call our customer service representatives at (601) 923-7700, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for assistance.