TAMPA, Fla — Tax season is upon us: That means if you've recently moved to Tampa Bay, you might notice filing in Florida is a little different than other states.
Oh, and there are people out there who might try to steal your sensitive information.
Jose Rosario, who does taxes at Liberty Tax in Tampa, says people who move to Florida are in for at least one pleasant surprise.
"We don't have state taxes, so they don't have to worry about that part," he explained.
But even with no state income tax, there is a major concern.
Florida has one of the highest rates of identity theft in the country. The Federal Trade Commission ranks us second in the country, per capita.
"That's the most frequent problem that taxpayers have in Florida," he said. "Most of the people who are rejected from the IRS is because of identification theft."
He says if you moved here from out of state, make sure your previous employer has your current address so you can get your W-2 in time.
You'll want to keep these three common scams in mind:
- Phishing: Forms of electronic communication -- think emails and text -- may appear to be legitimate when asking for sensitive information but actually are not.
- Phone scams: Be wary of unsolicited phone calls or voice mails, including those that ask for sensitive information or demand money be sent on prepaid gift cards
- Identity theft: As mentioned, make sure to keep personal information close and only share it with a professional accountant or service.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody says the best thing to do to avoid someone using your identity to file is to file early. The IRS says agents will never call you if there's an issue or demand payment over the phone.
And the attorney general says it's a good idea to research your tax preparer before you file.
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