Identity Verification Information

With income tax fraud and identity theft on the rise, the Hawai‘i Department of Taxation (Department) is committed to safeguarding taxpayer refunds by increasing security measures.

The Identity Verification Notice is just one of the tools the Department is using to prevent fraudsters from receiving another taxpayer’s refund as a result of identity theft.

All Hawai‘i individual income tax returns submitted undergo an identity verification review to protect taxpayer identity. Occasionally, additional information is required from the taxpayer to complete the review. The additional review does not indicate there are any issues with the taxpayer’s return.

The information used for identity verification questions comes from a combination of public data sources and prior filings of Hawai‘i individual income tax returns.

The data consists of current and historical information about you or your tax returns. The information used complies with all applicable privacy laws. Your information is not accessed until you begin the identity verification session and is immediately discarded upon completion.

You can respond to the Identity Verification Notice in two ways:

1. Hawaii Tax Online
   1. Select the “Reply to Identity Verification Notice” link on the Hawaii Tax Online homepage.
   2. Select the “Reply to Return Identity Verification Notice” link.
   3. Enter your one-time password provided on your notice.
   4. Complete the Log In question to validate your identity.
   5. Correctly respond to the verification questions.
   6. Click the Submit button at the lower right portion of the screen to complete the response.
2. By Mail
   1. The Identity Verification Notice contains instructions on how to verify your identity by mail. You will need to mail the signed Response page on the Identity Verification Notice along with copies of the specified documents for proof of identity.

The information required to complete the identity verification may be different for each taxpayer. The Identity Verification Notice will contain the instructions to complete your specific identity verification.

In most situations, you will need the one-time password provided in the Identity Verification Notice, your Hawai‘i individual income tax returns for the current and three prior years, or copies of documents in JPEG or PNG format.

The Identity Verification Notice contains instructions on how to verify your identity by mail. You will need to mail the signed Response page on the Identity Verification Notice along with the copies of the specified documents for proof of identity.

When you have made too many unsuccessful attempts to log into the identity verification session, your account will be locked. Please wait an hour, then try again.

You are required to complete the identity verification in order for your tax return to be processed. If you are unable to complete the identity verification using the options in the Identity Verification Notice or need additional assistance, please contact the Department at [email protected] for support.

If verification is not received by the deadline indicated on the Identity Verification Notice, your tax return stated on the Identity Verification Notice may be invalidated, and any potential refund may be disallowed. Please contact the Department at [email protected] for support.

You should notify the Department by completing the following steps on Hawaii Tax Online:

1. Select the “Reply to Identity Verification Notice” link on the Hawaii Tax Online homepage.
2. Select the “Reply to Return Identity Verification Notice” link.
3. Enter your one-time password that is located on your notice.
4. Complete the Log In question to validate your identity.
5. Answer “No, I did not file this return” when asked “Did you file the return stated on the Identity Verification Notice you received?”

Individual income tax returns and any associated refunds will not be processed until the identity verification review is completed. In order to prevent delays in your refund, please complete the actions requested in the Identity Verification Notice as soon as possible.