The possibility of an audit and a situation when you are unable to pay your taxes are some of the scariest things that one may have to deal with during the tax season. Identity theft is an equally horrible factor, but unfortunately, people often overlook such things. The incidences of ID theft have been increasing rapidly with every passing year. More and more people are becoming its victims. The number of such incidences increases much faster when the tax season comes. Therefore, it is crucial for you to learn how to protect your tax record from such threats. Following are five proven strategies you can try.
Is Your Tax Professional Reliable?
If you are using the services of a tax professional, it is important for you to make sure that the person is completely reliable. You must do a thorough background check before you hire one. To be on a safer side, you can consider choosing an e-filer from the IRS-authorized e-file partners. You can contact the IRS to get a complete list of such e-filers.
Is Your Internet Connection Secure?
The next thing that is important for you to make sure is whether the Internet connection you are using is secure enough. You are strongly recommended not to use shared Internet connections, especially the ones that have open Wi-Fi networks around them. If you are using a website for translations related to tax record, you must first check for a lock symbol in the browser and “https” in the beginning of the website address in the address bar of your browser.
File Sharing Services Can Be a Huge Security Risk
File sharing services, such as Kazaa and BitTorrent look very interesting and useful, but it is very important o note that they can also be a potential threat to online security. Therefore, you are advised not to use all these services, especially while you are sending sensitive information over Internet. Identity thieves can use the same file sharing services to trespass your private database in your computer.
Keep Encrypted Copies in Your Computer
If you sensitive information related to tax record stored in your computer, it is better to store them in encrypted files. This is the best way to protect your data. Decrypting an encrypted file is not at all an easy task; only an authorized person can do that.
Keep Encrypted Copies in Your Computer
You must have an up-to-date Internet security system in your computer. An easy way to do this is to keep the automatic update link always on.
Overall, if you follow these strategies thoroughly, you can significantly reduce the chances of identity theft and save your tax record.