ODJFS issues record number of 1099 tax forms

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will be issuing 1.7 million 1099-G tax forms this month to follow the federal law that requires reporting of unemployment benefits. There will be a number of Ohioans who receive a 1099-G tax form in the mail stating that they received unemployment benefits in 2020 when, in fact, they did not, according to an ODJFS news release. ODJFS has created an online portal that provides a direct way for Ohioans to notify the agency if they believe their identity was stolen and used to file a fraudulent unemployment claim. Those individuals should visit unemployment.ohio.gov, click on the "Report Identity Theft" button, and complete the reporting form. The release said ODJFS will issue confirmation emails to everyone who files a report with information about identity theft and protection. The agency will process the reports, conduct investigations and, if necessary, issue corrections to the Internal Revenue Service. In addition to completing the reporting form, the release said ODJFS strongly urges anyone who suspects they may be a victim of identity theft to take appropriate action to protect themselves. For example, individuals can visit annualcreditreport.com to see whether they may the victim of other types of identity theft. They also can visit OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/IdentityTheft for educational resources for Ohioans who believe they may be the victim of identity theft. The release said identity theft is a widespread national challenge. Many Ohioans have become victims, and their identities used to file fraudulent unemployment claims in traditional unemployment and pandemic unemployment assistance programs.