The Kentucky Department of Revenue (DOR) has incorporated a new Identity Confirmation Quiz as an added security measure in its system for processing taxpayers' individual income tax returns.
As part of the new measure, letters from the department will be sent to some taxpayers, asking them to complete a short Identity Confirmation Quiz, either online or by phone, before their tax refunds are fully processed.
"We have multiple internal procedures in place, along with third party techniques, that assist us in preventing tax fraud,” said Daniel P. Bork, Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Revenue, in a release announcing the new procedure. “We encourage taxpayers who receive this quiz letter to quickly respond, which will confirm their identities so we can continue processing their returns.”
The identity confirmation quiz will be available for 30 days from the date of the letter at revenue.ky.gov/quiz. After a taxpayer successfully completes the quiz, the department will continue processing his or her return. If the taxpayer fails the quiz twice or does not complete it, the department will require additional documentation, such as the hard copies of W2s or 1099s.
The Department of Revenue encourages taxpayers not to ignore the quiz request letter, if they receive it, and to complete the quiz promptly in order to avoid any delays in the processing of their returns. The department also emphasized that the letter is an added method for verifying a taxpayer's identity before issuing any refund and not an indicator that any identity theft has taken place.
The Identity Confirmation Quiz can be taken online at revenue.ky.gov/quiz or by telephone at (502) 892-3399, during regular work hours (Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET), with an authorized representative to help with the process.
If the taxpayer receives an Identity Confirmation Quiz letter and has not yet filed a return, he or she should contact the Kentucky Department of Revenue immediately by email at kyidquiz@ky.gov or telephone at (502) 892-3399.
A short video with more detail about the Identity Confirmation Quiz information is available on the department's website at revenue.ky.gov/quiz.