If your tax refund is delayed, here’s why

The Internal Revenue Service, which has been beset by fraudsters, has been requiring victims and suspected victims of tax-related identity theft to take extra steps before filing returns.

Most state income tax refunds “are arriving within 12 business days for taxpayers who file electronically and request direct deposit,” the Franchise Tax Board said Wednesday.

[...] some refunds can take significantly longer as (the agency) joins a nationwide effort to protect taxpayers’ money by preventing fraud, tax theft and other abusive practices.

If a taxpayer has not received a refund within the normal time frame, “more than likely their return is being reviewed to make sure we get the correct amount to the correct person,” tax board spokesman Daniel Tahara said.

Tax scams “continue to adapt and evolve in an attempt to catch people off guard just as they are preparing their tax returns,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen warned in a news release last week.

Many people have wised up to a phone scam in which crooks impersonating IRS agents threaten to have them arrested if they don’t pay “back taxes” immediately with a debit card, wire transfer or money order.

Thanks to public outreach and counteroffensives, “Where the perpetrators used to be able to get a victim every 40-50 calls, now they must make 300-400 attempts to claim a victim,” the office said in March.

In another widespread scheme, criminals use stolen names and Social Security numbers to file fraudulent federal and state tax returns claiming refunds early in tax season.

Before March 7, people who lost their PIN could retrieve it by going to the IRS website and answering four multiple-choice questions drawn from their credit file, such as loan amounts or previous addresses, security expert and journalist Brian Krebs reported.

In some cases of suspected fraud, the IRS has been sending an Identity Verification Letter, or 5071C form, by snail mail to the address on the return.

Scam artists are also calling people to say they have your tax return and just need to verify a few details — such as your Social Security or bank account number — to process your refund, the IRS said.