Tax Administration: Electronic Filing Fraud

GAO discussed the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) problems with electronic filing fraud. GAO noted that: (1) the number of fraudulent electronic tax returns significantly increased in 1993 by 105 percent; (2) IRS could reduce the risk of electronic filing fraud by making changes in its system's design; (3) IRS has implemented some electronic filing controls such as verifying taxpayer information with IRS records that have resulted in the rejection of 240,000 electronic forms; (4) inefficient and labor-intensive screening processes unnecessarily delay refunds to taxpayers; and (5) IRS needs to better screen and monitor preparers and transmitters of electronic returns and ensure that fraud controls are adequate before nationwide implementation of the TeleFile Tax Filing System.