The Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) has implemented security measures to safeguard District taxpayers’ dollars and combat identity theft tax fraud through its Return Verification process. The process requires taxpayers selected for identity verification to complete a verification quiz via the online portal, MyTax.DC.gov.
OTR’s Return Integrity Unit currently oversees the program whereby refund requests are screened to prevent tax-related identity theft. RIU’s identity theft prevention measures include the verification of a taxpayer’s identity through identity quizzes taken online and/or through requests for, and the review of, additional supporting documentation to verify the validity of a refund request.
OTR is provided general powers through DC law to administer tax and safeguard funds. Also, DC law permits OTR to request this additional information for purposes of administering and enforcing tax laws.
To verify that a return is valid and that the refund requested is not being requested as part of a tax-related identity theft scheme, OTR uses analytics to determine when refund requests require additional verification. If a taxpayer’s refund request is selected, OTR will send a request for verification to the taxpayer.
OTR takes these measures to safeguard taxpayer information and prevent fraud. However, from time to time, taxpayers may have difficulty providing the information requested. In these instances, taxpayers should contact OTR to discuss their matters one-on-one.
You can reach the Return Integrity Unit at (202) 741-8629 with questions.
What happens if I don’t respond to the request for verification?
If a person doesn’t respond to OTR’s request for identity verification, the refund will not be released, and the individual will receive a denial notice. OTR will “reverse” the return—this means that, because we couldn’t determine that the return was valid, the return will not be posted to their account and will not be considered “filed” for that tax year.
What do I do if I disagree with the denial of my refund?
If your refund was denied, you can file an appeal with the District of Columbia Superior Court. Visit http://www.dccourts.gov/superior-court for more information. The deadline for you to file an appeal is 6 months from the date of the Notice of Refund Denial. It is very important that you follow the instructions in the Notice of Refund Denial and that you file your appeal before the expiration of the deadline.
In addition, if you have additional documents and you would like OTR to reconsider its denial of your refund, you may reach out to the Refund Integrity Unit for information on how to provide this documentation. You can reach RIU at (202) 741-8629 to determine what documents are needed. Please note, however, that calling RIU or working with an OTR representative will not extend the amount of time you have to file an appeal with the Superior Court. If you aren’t sure whether your refund was selected for additional verification, you can get additional information on your MyTax.DC.gov portal or by calling our Customer Service Center at (202) 727-4TAX.
- DC Code § 47-2866(c)
- DC Code §§ 1-204.24c (10) and (11)