Did you know about 50% of 2014 Ohio state income tax refund requests will be selected for additional screening?

The Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) is fighting tax fraud. And it's asking tax payers to help.

Ohio Tax Commissioner Joe Testa announced, "In Ohio last year, we had criminals try to steal more than $270 million dollars in tax refunds. This scale of criminal activity clearly requires us to do all we can to stop these thieves.” (See the original statement here.)

So what does this mean for the average Ohio tax payer? Simply put, if you submitted a refund request to the state of Ohio, there's about a 50% chance you'll need to provide additional information. If selected for an additional screening, you'll be sent a letter prompting you to take an ID Confirmation Quiz on the ODT website at tax.ohio.gov. We've procured an example of what one of these letters looks like, which you can view here.

Before taking the quiz, it's best to have a copy of your tax return and other tax information (W2s, 1099s etc.) on-hand. 

While many find it an unwelcome inconvenience, the state says it's working. So if you receive a letter directing you to the ID Confirmation Quiz at tax.ohio.gov, don't fret. You're one of many tax payers doing their part to keep fraud to a minimum. 

Still looking for more information about the ID Confirmation Quiz? The ODT has answered the most frequently asked questions here: http://www.tax.ohio.gov/IdentityTheft/FAQ/Income-IdentityQuiz.aspx

How do you feel about the quiz? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.