By STEPHANIE LAN
The Internal Revenue Service is continuing to detect and deter income tax fraud during this tax season.
The IRS' protection strategy is designed to make sure the Social Security numbers match the names on the forms and to make sure only one person can claim an individual as a dependant.
Because of these precautions, taxpayers claiming refunds this year may experience a delay.
'Several steps are being taken to tighten the security net against refund fraud,' said IRS Salt Lake City spokesperson Dora LaVoie.
'The delays are necessary to ensure filers are entitled to the refund claimed, based upon the information provided.'
The IRS does not expect to delay as many tax refunds in 1996 as they did in 1995. This expectation is based on changes in the agency's screening process as well as the anticipation that taxpayers will be more careful to provide correct Social Security numbers on their returns.
According to LaVoie, it is important to make sure all Social Security numbers match all taxpayers and dependents listed on the return. 'The computer is automatically catching these things,' she said. 'It won't let more than one person claim the same dependant.'
LaVoie emphasized the need to carefully enter the correct Social Security numbers on tax forms to prevent a delay. Taxpayers who experienced a tax refund delay last year must be especially careful to enter correct numbers this year.
In prior years, even if the Social Security number didn't match the name, the refund would be processed with only a notice which said there was a problem with the Social Security number. Now, these claims will not be processed until the Social Security problem has been cleared through the Department of Social Security.
This is true even when a newly married woman changes her name, but doesn't notify the Social Security office, LaVoie said. 'We can't process a claim unless the Social Security number matches the name.'