BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho State Tax Commission is alerting Idaho taxpayers to a recurring tax scam. The alert comes after an individual with a tax debt recently received a demand for payment of Idaho taxes in the mail.
The mailing claims to be from the State of Idaho’s “Tax Processing Unit Internal Processing Service” in Oregon’s Malheur County. But no such unit exists. The fraudulent letter threatens to seize the individual’s property if payment arrangements aren’t made quickly.
“This is similar to other scams we’ve seen that use the county where the targeted taxpayer lives as the location of the fraudulent tax unit to make the mailing seem more official,” Tax Commission Chairman Tom Harris said.
“If you’re concerned about the legitimacy of a tax document you receive, call the Tax Commission -– not the phone number provided in the mailing -– and verify that it’s from us. Always be wary when you get an aggressive demand to pay in a short period of time,” he added.
The alert was issued after the Tax Commission and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office warned Idahoans of a similar fraud scheme in April.
Taxpayers with questions about the authenticity of any tax letters they receive can call the Tax Commission at (208) 334-7660 in the Boise area or toll-free at (800) 972-7660.
