Responding to a Verification Request From OTR
To protect taxpayers and prevent identity theft tax fraud, the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) uses a Return Verification process which is administered by the Return Integrity Unit (RIU). If you received a verification letter from OTR, you must respond through MyTax.DC.gov before your return can be processed. Check the notice you received, then follow the steps below to verify your return through MyTax.DC.Gov.
There are three types of verification notices:
1. Notice for Identity Verification PIN
If you received a Notice for Identity Verification PIN, you will need:
- The letter you received
- Your last name
- The verification PIN listed in the letter
- The refund amount requested on your return
Click HERE to Respond to an Identity Verification PIN Notice.
2. Notice for Identity Verification Quiz
If you received a Notice for Identity Verification Quiz, you will need:
- The letter you received
- The notice number printed on the letter
- The last four digits of your Social Security Number
- The refund amount requested on your return
Click HERE to take the Identity Verification Quiz.
3. Additional Verification Documents Notice(s)
Sometimes OTR will send a letter asking you to submit additional documents to confirm parts of your tax return (such as income, identity, or other items). These letters may have different names but all require the same response:
You will need:
- The letter you received
- The Letter ID number printed on the letter
- The documents requested in the notice
Click HERE to submit Verification Documents.
OTR is provided general powers through DC law to administer tax and safeguard funds. Also, DC law permits OTR to request this additional information for purposes of administering and enforcing tax laws.
To verify that a return is valid and that the refund requested is not being requested as part of a tax-related identity theft scheme, OTR uses analytics to determine when refund requests require additional verification. If a taxpayer’s refund request is selected, OTR will send a request for verification to the taxpayer.
OTR takes these measures to safeguard taxpayer information and prevent fraud. However, from time to time, taxpayers may have difficulty providing the information requested. In these instances, taxpayers should contact OTR to discuss their matters one-on-one.
You can contact the Return Integrity Unit at (202) 741-8629 with questions.
What happens if I don’t respond to the request for verification?
- If a person does not respond to OTR’s request for identity verification, the refund will not be released, and the individual will receive a denial notice. OTR will “reverse” the return—this means that, because we could not determine that the return was valid, the return will not be posted to their account and will not be considered “filed” for that tax year.
What do I do if I disagree with the denial of my refund?
- If your refund was denied, you can file an appeal with the District of Columbia Superior Court. Visit https://www.dccourts.gov/superior-court for more information. The deadline for you to file an appeal is 6 months from the date of the Notice of Refund Denial. It is very important that you follow the instructions in the Notice of Refund Denial and that you file your appeal before the expiration of the deadline.
- In addition, if you have additional documents and you would like OTR to reconsider its denial of your refund, you may reach out to the Refund Integrity Unit for information on how to provide this documentation. You can reach RIU at (202) 741-8629 to determine what documents are needed. Please note, however, that calling RIU or working with an OTR representative will not extend the amount of time you have to file an appeal with the Superior Court. If you aren’t sure whether your refund was selected for additional verification, you can get additional information on your MyTax.DC.gov portal or by calling our Customer Service Center at (202) 727-4TAX.
DC Code § 47-2866(c)
DC Code §§ 1-204.24c (10) and (11)