The Security Summit is a unique public-private partnership formed in 2015 to protect taxpayers and the tax system against identity theft refund fraud.
The
Security Summit
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consists of IRS, state tax agencies and the tax community, including tax preparation firms, software developers, payroll and tax financial product processors, tax professional organizations and financial institutions. Total membership includes 42 state agencies and 24 industry offices in addition to the IRS.
The Security Summit members are organized into six work groups, each tasked with addressing an area of need and each with a co-lead from the IRS, states and industry.
In 2016, Security Summit partners agreed there was a need for a formal public-private partnership where sharing could take place in a collaborative environment based on partner-agreed rules.
In 2017, the IRS, state tax agencies and the tax industry created a public/private partnership, to facilitate information sharing consistent with applicable law, and analytics necessary to detect, prevent, and deter activities related to stolen identity refund fraud.
The ISAC purpose is to:
Facilitate information exchange for tax administration purposes related to identity theft tax refund fraud.
Provide a forum for participants to discuss real-time responses to such fraud schemes.
Promote the advancement of data analysis, capabilities, methodologies and strategies to detect, reduce, and prevent this type of fraud.
The ISAC issued its first Annual Report in April 2018. It highlights key accomplishments across three measures:
Levels of industry and state participation in the ISAC.
Volume and quality of alert and data contributions that identify ecosystem threats.
Volume and quality of ISAC data analysis to identify suspected fraud.
This report also outlines the ISAC strategic plans going forward, to ensure a tax ecosystem where taxpayers can confidently file their taxes safely and securely.
For an overview of what the Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud (ISAC) is doing to prevent identity theft see
Using a Public-Private Partnership to Address a Common Problem
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and
How the ISAC Compliments the Security Summit
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.
2021 annual report
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2020 annual report
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2019 IDTTRF-ISAC Partnership annual report
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2018 annual report
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2016 Security Summit report
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2015 Security Summit report
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2024 National Tax Security Awareness Week
The IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax industry held the
9th Annual National Tax Security Awareness Week on December 2–6
. This annual event emphasizes the importance of protecting sensitive financial information from identity theft and tax scams, especially as the holidays and the 2025 tax season approach.
Previous years
News events and announcements – 2023
News events and announcements – 2022
News events and announcements – 2021
News events and announcements – 2020
Protect your clients; protect yourself — Summer 2025
— Security Summit summer campaign to remind tax professionals to stay alert against new and ongoing identity theft and security threats this summer.
Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft
— Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft will urge tax professionals to take basic actions to stem the data theft from their offices. This is the sixth year that the Security Summit partners – the IRS, state tax agencies and the nation’s tax community – have worked to raise awareness about these issues.
Working Virtually: Protecting Tax Data at Home and at Work
— Working Virtually: Protecting Tax Data at Home and at Work is a Security Summit awareness campaign to highlight security actions key to protecting tax professionals as they respond to COVID-19 while working remotely from their office and clients.
Tax Security 2.0
— The "Taxes. Security. Together" Checklist is a Security Summit awareness campaign to call on tax professionals nationwide to take time to review their current security practices, enhance safeguards where necessary and take steps to protect their businesses from global cybercriminal syndicates prowling the Internet.
Protect your clients; protect yourself
— Every tax professional in the United States, whether a member of a major accounting firm or an owner of a one-person storefront, is a potential target for highly sophisticated, well-funded and technologically adept cybercriminals around the world.
Taxes. Security. Together
— We are asking you, taxpayers, tax professionals and businesses, to join with us to create an even stronger partnership. Our "Taxes. Security. Together" awareness campaign is an effort to better inform you about the actions you can take to protect your sensitive data.
Organizations involved in the preparation and processing of tax returns and refunds (such as software firms, tax preparation firms, payroll processors or financial institutions and/or processors of tax time financial products) and governmental tax agencies are welcome to apply for membership in the Security Summit, a collaborative effort to fight identity theft tax refund fraud. If your agency or organization meets the required
membership criteria
, please complete the
Security Summit membership application
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and submit a statement of interest describing your role, mission and functional responsibilities within the tax ecosystem. Also see the
Required Criteria and Qualifications Statement of Interest Example
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.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please email
publicliaison@irs.gov
.
Publication 5708, Creating a Written Information Security Plan for your Tax & Accounting Practice
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Identity Theft Central
Tax Scams/Consumer alerts
Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data: A Guide for Your Business
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Data theft information for tax professionals
