IRS expands identity theft program

Miller also noted that the pilot program would be just one of the ways his agencies would battle identity theft. The Government Accountability Office has said that the stealing of taxpayer identities has risen dramatically in recent years.

{mosads}But Nina Olson, the national taxpayer advocate, also said this year that the IRS needs to streamline its programs to help identity theft victims.

In a release, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said he pushed the IRS to create the pilot program. The Florida Democrat plans to file a bill in April that includes improvements to the IP PIN program, and other methods for protecting identity theft.

Besides Florida, the IP PIN program has also gone live in Alabama, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Current law restricts how much taxpayer information can be shared with law enforcement officials.