Virginia tax department sets up data-breach hotline
Published
A new Virginia law now requires tax professionals to report any breach of taxpayer data.
The law, which went into effect on July 1, says once a breach is discovered, it must be reported to the Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax) and affected parties as soon as possible.
Tax professionals who believe their records may have been compromised can call Virginia Tax’s Tax Professionals Identity Theft Information line at 804-404-4232.
Virginia Tax will ask for:
· Company name and contact information;
· Tax professional’s identification number (PTIN) and contact information – both phone and email;
· Date the breach occurred;
· How many people were affected;
· Type of information compromised; and
· Any information pertinent to addressing the specific situation, which may include the names and tax identification numbers of the impacted taxpayers or employees.
Once notification is received, Virginia Tax will work with tax professionals to determine what further action is needed. The Virginia Tax website (https://tax.virginia.gov) offers additional information.
