Receiving certain notices sent by the IRS may indicate that a thief has stolen your identity and is using your Social Security number (SSN). Get in touch with the IRS immediately should you receive any message that says:
- IRS records reveal income from an unknown employer
- Your SSN was used more than once to file a tax return
What You Need to Know About Identity Theft Related to Taxes
The IRS utilizes your SSN in order to review your tax return and ensure that the information provided is complete and accurate before they provide any refunds. It is common for an identity thief to misuse your SSN for their own purposes. If you receive a message sent by the IRS, it could mean that someone has stolen your SSN.
Identity theft impacts how your tax return is processed in two ways:
- If an identity thief misuses your SSN to gain employment, the IRS is likely to think that you failed to report your entire income on your tax return because the employer reported income using that SSN for another person. When this happens, the IRS sends you a notice explaining that wages have been reported for your SSN that are not included on your tax return – from an employer you never worked for.
- If an identity thief misuses your SSN to claim your tax refund before you get the chance, the IRS will think you have filed and received your refund. When this happens, the IRS notifies you that your SSN was used to file a tax return more than once.
How to Handle Identity Theft Related to Taxes
You should contact the IRS immediately if you believe you might be the victim of tax-related identity theft, even when you have yet to find evidence to prove its impact on your return. Call the toll-free number 1-800-908-4490, from 7am to 7pm or go to the website of the IRS Protection Specialized Unit.
Tax specialists are available to help you file your return, provide any refunds that are owed and provide protection from identity thieves affecting your IRS account down the line. To document the tax-related identity theft, report it to the police or fill out Form 14039, the IRS ID Theft Affidavit. In order to process the affidavit, you have to supply proof of your identity with a duplicate of your driver’s license, passport, Social Security card or another valid government-issued identification.
Don’t Fall For Phishing Scams
Many identity thieves will send you an email that seems to have been sent by the IRS in an attempt to make you disclose key personal data. The IRS never contacts taxpayers by text, email, or through any on-line platform to find out necessary financial or personal data. Should you receive a message on-line that was supposedly sent by the IRS, never click on the links or hit reply. You should forward the email to the IRS at [email protected] as soon as you open it.