- Why this is necessary
- Why you were chosen
- How the process works
- Who can complete this process
- What to do if you have a physical or language barrier
- Identity Verification Quiz
- Sending Identity Verification Documents
- Required Documentation
- What to do if you experience a data breach
Why this is necessary
In order to prevent identity theft and cybercrime, we have implemented an identity protection verification process to reduce the chances of someone fraudulently filing a tax return using your name and stealing your refund.
Why you were chosen
Our system is designed to notice the possibility of identity fraud. When this happens, we require the taxpayer to prove their identity before processing the refund.
How the process works
If your return is chosen, we will send you an Identity Protection Verification letter that asks you to complete a verification process. Depending on the situation, this letter may ask you to take a short online quiz or to provide documents to verify your identity.
Important: You will not receive your refund until you have successfully completed the Identity Verification process.
Who can complete this process
- Only those taxpayers who are sent an ID Protection Verification letter can complete the process.
- The taxpayer who received the letter must complete the process themselves or have a legal guardian or Power of Attorney assist.
What to do if you have a physical or language barrier
Call the Taxpayer Services Division at 801-297-2200 or 800-662-4335, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Identity Verification Quiz
If you are selected for the identity verification process, your notification letter may provide you the option of verifying your identity by taking an online quiz. You must correctly answer five multiple choice questions with answers that help us verify your identity. The letter will direct you to take the quiz on our secure website at tap.utah.gov.
Identity verification questions are based on information from your driver’s license or state ID card, and your Utah income tax returns for the previous one or two years (if you had Utah tax returns for those years). Have these documents on hand before beginning the quiz. You will know immediately if the process was successful, and if so, we will process your refund.
If you are unable to complete the quiz online by the due date, or if you are not successful in passing the quiz, you must send documents to us that prove your identity. Instructions for sending the documents to us are provided in the letter.
Sending Identity Verification Documents
If you are selected for the identity verification process, you can complete the process by sending the requested documents to the Tax Commission. The documents may be uploaded or mailed.
If you receive a letter that requires you to send identity verification documents to a website or address that does not match those listed below, it’s possible that letter is fraudulent. Please send a copy of that letter and the documents required to the website or address below rather than the one listed on that letter.
Uploading Documents
- Go to tap.utah.gov
- Under “Send us” click Attach & Submit ID Verification Documents
- Enter the Letter ID, provided in the header of the letter you received from the Tax Commission requesting the Identity Verification Documents and the last four digits of your SSN or ITIN
- Enter your contact information
- Click the Add button to attach each document (see Required Documentation)
- Click Submit after all required documents are attached
Mailing the Documents
You can mail the documents to:
Utah State Tax Commission – SFG PO Box 31400 Salt Lake City, UT 84131-0400
Required Documentation
To verify your identity send COPIES (not originals) of the following documents:
- ID Verification Letter
- Send a copy of the letter you received from us requesting that you verify your identity. This helps us route your documents to the correct place. This is not required if you are uploading the documents at tap.utah.gov.
- Photo ID
- Send a copy of your government issued photo ID. If you filed a Married Filing Joint tax return, send a copy of the photo ID for both spouses. Please ensure the copy of your photo ID is clear and legible.
- A government issued photo ID can be a driver’s license, state issued ID card, military ID card, passport (copy of the page with your name and photograph), or other state or federal photo ID card.
- Utah withholding documents
- If you (and your spouse, if filing jointly) had Utah taxes withheld, send a copy of each W-2, 1099, K-1, and TC-675R you received for the year listed in the letter.
What To Do If You Experience a Data Breach
When a business or tax professional identifies that they have been the victim of data breach, they can notify the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA) by sending an email to StateAlert@taxadmin.org.