Every year millions of Americans file with the IRS as fast as they can in hopes of a quick refund, but some people file only to find out their SSN was already submitted.
This means someone filed taxes with your SSN in hopes of getting the refund you were entitled to.
You’re now a victim of tax identity theft. This is also known as stolen identity refund fraud.
The next step is to file your taxes and attach Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit.
What happens next?
The IRS will now work to fix your stolen refund and issue you your refund, while also protecting you from future tax identity theft.
Depending on your situation it can take anywhere from three months to one year.
IRS: Form 1040 explained
Here are the 5 major steps to the process for identity tax fraud with the IRS
You’ll receive a notice from the IRS
The IRS will notify you that they are aware of the identity theft that happened.
Within 30 days of receiving Form 14039, you’ll get that letter.
You may need to prove your identity with letter 5071C.
This will require you to answer questions about your previous tax return.
The IRS will give your case its attention
There are specific employees dedicated to the handling of identity theft cases.
The team will work to correct your current return, issue your refund, eliminate fraudulently filed returns, and add an identity theft indicator to your account.
Millions see average tax refund of $3,536 today
Your account will be flagged for the future
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