Officials in Georgia's tax-collecting agency will be taking an extra cautious approach to income tax returns next year after the massive data breach at Equifax.

Josh Waites, the director of the Department of Revenue's Office of Special Investigations, said tax-return fraud has become a big business and data breaches in recent years have only made the situation worse.

"We're fearful with something like Equifax because they are getting a lot of information," he said. "The more information that is out there makes it easier to file fraudulent tax returns."

But the state Department of Revenue, and the IRS in D.C., are also seeing success in stopping the crime. Keep reading on myajc.com to see how the state has been doing in the war on tax fraud.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Living in Louisville in rural Jefferson County, Jessica Lewis (back) regularly traveled nearly an hour each way for OB-GYN visits while she was pregnant with her now-11-month-old-son, Desmond. The 35-year-old tax preparer is among many in Georgia forced to make long drives for access to gynecological care. Others are not able to do so, part of why prenatal visit data has gotten worse in recent years. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Featured

(Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Getty, Unsplash)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC