Massachusetts Temporarily Halts State Tax Refunds Filed Through TurboTax

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts officials have temporarily halted refunds on state tax returns after a nationwide increase in fraudulent tax returns filed through TurboTax.

State Revenue Commissioner Amy Pitter said the agency, acting out of an abundance of caution, suspended refunds to make sure all of the approximately 160,000 tax returns that are currently in its pipeline for refunds are legitimate.

TurboTax, the country's most popular do-it-yourself tax preparation software, halted processing state tax returns for about 24 hours after state agencies reported a rise in filings with stolen personal information. Intuit, the company behind TurboTax, said it resumed filing of state returns at about 6 p.m. Friday with increased anti-fraud measures.