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I filed my taxes, done with Turbotax, electronically in April 2011. I got an email the next day saying my return had been rejected because someone had already filed using my SS#, and that I would have to paper file, with a cover letter explaining why. I did, and called LifeLock, the Soc. Sec. Admin., the SEC, the police (to file a police report), the IRS, my state DOR, my Congressman, my broker and my bank. I got my refund in November!!!

This year, Mr. Shulman, head of the IRS, was on CSPAN one night at a Congressional hearing on this, apologizing to a bunch of victims, and promising to fix things by sending everyone a special pin number for future use. Sure enough, I got a pin number for use this past April. When I tried to file electronically, the pin # did not work. I then spent a day on the phone with the IRS, to no avail. And their online websites did not work, either. I paper-filed again, and called my Congressman. He has been working on it and has been told I may get my refund by the end of July. It is large. I hope so.

The best thing to do is file early so that someone else cannot beat you to the punch. That is not possible for me . . . for various reasons, I can never file until at least March. It might help you to have an accountant do your taxes and file for you. I don't know. But, of course, the one other thing you can do, which I am now forced to do, is to withhold less from my paycheck; I will put the extra take-home pay in a separate fund for paying taxes when I have to. I certainly cannot trust the IRS.

Thanks for the information and the warning. That’s just terrible.

Because both my husband and I have had several events this past year that required hospital visits (mostly outpatient) I’ve had to supply my SS number all over the place. Furthermore, the State of Wisconsin uses the last 4 digits of the SS number as an identifier to vote if you do not have a Driver’s License, or State ID. That does not affect me, but I m a poll worker and have taken those numbers from lots of people.

In any case, I have to give my SS number all over the place. Often you need at least the last 4 digits to use a charge card on line, or on the phone, or to retrieve your forgotten password. It seems that somebody is asking for it all the time.

My 99 year old mother broke her leg last mmonth and is in a rehab facility. Likewise, her SS number is spread all over. I am very uncomfortable about this. It looks like we’ll all be getting LifeLock.

The best thing to do is increase your withholding exepmtions to the point where you owe the degenerates at the IRS a little bit at the end of the year instead of letting them use your money interest free and fight to get a refund because they are too retarded to ensure tax fraud doesn’t occur.