{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=1041faaf-6460-49d7-a324-23c27c92bf48", "MISS. SENATORS CALL ON IRS TO ADDRESS TAX REFUND FRAUD", "2014-10-20", "2014", "2014-10", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Thad Cochran", "C000567", "www.cochran.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today joined a bipartisan group of 15 Senators in calling on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen to update Congress regarding the agency\u2019s efforts to prevent tax refund fraud using stolen identities. The effort was led by Wicker and Senator Bill Nelson, D-Fla.\r\nIn their letter to Koskinen, the Senators expressed concern that the IRS has yet to devise a comprehensive plan to address the problem, which cost taxpayers $5.2 billion in 2013, according to the Government Accountability Office. The Senators further urged the agency to improve existing safeguards and to make stopping tax refund fraud a top priority.\r\n\u201cTax fraud directly harms millions of tax-paying Americans who play by the rules,\u201d Wicker said. \u201cOn top of that, identify theft and stolen refunds undermine confidence in our tax system. The IRS has an obligation to make fraud reduction a top priority, in particular by identifying and holding those accountable who cheat the system by cheating honest taxpayers.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe IRS needs to assure the American people that it is fighting identity theft and taxpayer refund fraud.\u00a0 If forceful actions are not taken to correct these problems, public trust in this agency will be further eroded,\u201d Cochran said.\r\nWicker, Cochran, and Nelson were joined in their letter by Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Ben Cardin, D-Md., Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.\r\nA signed copy of the letter is available below. The text of the letter follows here:\r\nDear Commissioner Koskinen:\r\nWe are writing to request information regarding the IRS\u2019s efforts to prevent identity theft-related refund fraud.\u00a0 There has been a substantial increase in this kind of fraud in recent years with $5.2 billion being lost to fraudulent tax returns in 2013 according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO characterized this growing problem as a \u201cpersistent, evolving threat to honest taxpayers and tax administration\u201d in its latest report on the subject.\r\nWe understand that the IRS may not be able to stop all refund fraud, but a lot more can be done within the IRS\u2019s current authority to reduce the risk of fraud and improve taxpayer services.\u00a0 We would like an update from you on what you have done to date with respect to the following:\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Accelerating the verification of tax return information.\u00a0 By law, the IRS has 45 days after a return is due to issue a refund without interest, yet refunds are typically issued just 9.6 days after a return is filed, according to the GAO.\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Providing victims of tax-related identity theft with a single point of contact, as recommended by the National Taxpayer Advocate for several years.\u00a0 According to the Taxpayer Advocate, \u201cwithout a single person responsible for transferring cases from one function to another,\u201d cases can become \u201cstuck\u201d or lost in the process.\u00a0\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Allowing taxpayers to \u201cturn off\u201d electronic filing, as the Taxpayer Advocate recommended to the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth as long ago as 2011.\u00a0 More than 80 percent of tax-related identity theft occurs through electronically filed tax returns.\u00a0 Shouldn\u2019t taxpayers have the option to disable any electronic filing of their tax return?\u00a0\r\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Allowing any taxpayer to request an identity theft PIN, regardless of whether or not they have been a confirmed victim of identity theft.\u00a0\u00a0 We understand that the IRS has launched a pilot program to allow anyone in states with high fraud rates to request an identity theft PIN.\u00a0 We would appreciate an update on your efforts, if any, to convert this pilot program into a nationwide program.\r\nIn addition to the need for improving IRS\u2019s existing safeguards and services, we are concerned that the IRS has yet to devise a comprehensive plan to address the problem, if given additional resources. With billions of dollars at stake, we believe that finding a solution to the problem of identity theft-related refund fraud should be a top priority for the IRS. Therefore, we respectfully request responses to the following questions:\r\n1.\u00a0With respect to detecting, deterring, and criminalizing taxpayer identity theft, please explain how you currently prioritize resources and describe how you intend to allocate resources to this problem in the future.\u00a0 Please also explain what additional statutory authority, if any, the IRS needs to seriously address the problem.\u00a0\r\n2.\u00a0For each of the 2012, 2013, and 2014 calendar years, how many taxpayers filed an affidavit alleging identity theft or refund fraud?\u00a0 If possible, please also identify, in dollar terms, how much of the fraud identified through the affidavits still resulted in money being sent to fraudsters.\r\n3.\u00a0What are the total costs associated with undertaking each investigation into tax-related identity theft?\u00a0 To date, what percentage of the cases resulted in funds being recovered?\r\n4.\u00a0Does the IRS plan to fully assess the costs and benefits of accelerating information matching, whether it be moving up Form W-2 deadlines or delaying the filing season, as recommended by GAO?\u00a0 If so, when?\u00a0 If not, why not?\r\n5.\u00a0Do you disagree with any of the GAO\u2019s recommendations, as cited in their September report titled \u201cAdditional Actions Could Help IRS Combat the Large, Evolving Threat of Refund Fraud?\u201d\u00a0 If so, please explain.\r\n6.\u00a0What further action, if any, does the IRS intend to take to combat this problem prior to the next tax filing season?\r\nPlease provide a timely response to these questions. It is essential to stem the tide of this crime before another tax season passes by and billions more taxpayer dollars are stolen.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=1041faaf-6460-49d7-a324-23c27c92bf48"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.775317195802927, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}