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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Tax Administrator helps launch effort to protect personal tax data<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rhode Island Tax Administrator David M. Sullivan joined federal and state officials and tax industry representatives today to help launch a new joint campaign
aimed at encouraging more people to protect their personal and financial data online and at home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The “Taxes. Security. Together.” campaign (<i>see logo above</i>) is designed to raise public awareness that even routine actions on the Internet and on personal communications
devices can affect the safety of one’s financial and tax data.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The education campaign will complement the expanded series of protections that the IRS, the states, and the tax industry are putting in place for the start of the 2016 filing
season to address tax-related identity theft.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">‘Unprecedented’ effort<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“The governments and industry are taking new steps to protect taxpayers,” said Sullivan, who is also Acting Director of the Department of Revenue and the immediate past president
of the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA). “To build on this even further, we are joining forces to share important information across our websites -- whether it’s at the state level, in the tax industry, or at the IRS. This is an unprecedented collaborative
effort for tax administration,” Sullivan said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“Identity thieves are evolving, and so must we. Everyone has a part to play,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “The IRS, the states and the tax industry are putting in place
even tougher safeguards for 2016. But, we need the public’s help. We need people to join with us and take an active role in protecting their personal and financial data from thieves.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Multimedia campaign<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The campaign, which will continue through the April tax deadline, was announced today at an event in Washington, D.C., hosted by the FTA.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The effort is part of the Security Summit, a collaborative effort started in March between the states, the IRS, and the tax industry. The joint consumer campaign features several
components, including a YouTube video (<i>see screenshot below</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Click
<a href="https://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS,-States-and-Tax-Industry-Announce-New-Steps-to-Help-Public-to-Protect-Personal-Tax-Data">
here</a> for more information about the campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after:avoid"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"><img border="0" width="269" height="167" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D122D2.F3798900"></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoCaption">David Sullivan (2nd from right) and John Koskinen (center)<span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-variant:small-caps;color:#002060">Neil Downing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#002060">Chief Revenue Agent<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#002060">Rhode Island Division of Taxation<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#002060">One Capitol Hill<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#002060">Providence R.I. 02908<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#002060"><a href="mailto:Neil.Downing@tax.ri.gov"><span style="color:#002060">Neil.Downing@tax.ri.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#002060">(401) 574-8115<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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