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If you’re a tax professional, business owner, or in a human resources department, the FTC and IRS can help you help clients, employees, or other people who discover they’re victims of tax-related identity theft. IdentityTheft.gov website on a laptop, tablet, and smartphone.

 

Tax-related identity theft happens when someone uses your stolen Social Security number (SSN) to file a tax return and claim your refund. You might find out about it when you try to e-file — only to find that someone else already has submitted a return — or when the IRS sends you a letter saying it has identified a suspicious tax return that used your SSN. That’s when you’ll need to file an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit (IRS Form 14039), so that the IRS can begin resolving your case.

 

Until now, you had to complete an Affidavit from the IRS website, print it, then fax or mail it to the IRS. Now, the FTC and IRS have collaborated to let people report tax-related identity theft to the IRS online, using the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov website. It’s the only place you can submit your IRS Form 14039 electronically.

 

What are the benefits? IdentityTheft.gov will:

 

  • Walk you through the process of completing the Form 14039
  • Transfer your Form 14039 to the IRS securely
  • Guide you through placing fraud alerts on your credit files, checking your credit reports, and taking other steps to stop the tax identity theft from harming your accounts, and
  • Help you resolve any other problems the tax identity theft may have caused.

 

Here’s how it works: IdentityTheft.gov will first ask you questions to collect the information the IRS needs, then use your information to populate the Form 14039 and let you review it. Once you’re satisfied, you can submit the Form 14039 to the IRS through IdentityTheft.gov and download a copy for yourself. About 30 days later, the IRS will send you a letter confirming it received the information.

 

Remember, though — filing the Affidavit doesn’t eliminate the need to pay your taxes. If you couldn’t e-file your tax return, you’ll still need to mail it to the IRS and pay any taxes you owe.

 

We hope you can share this information with any victims of tax-related identity theft you encounter and remind them to visit IdentityTheft.gov to report the problem and get fast and effective recovery help.

Craig Poshva
April 03, 2018
Where can i report tax fraud?
lfair
June 22, 2018

In reply to by Craig Poshva

If you have been a victim of tax identity theft (or any form of identity theft), file a report and get a personalized step-by-step recovery plan at www.IdentityTheft.gov.

Rosemarie Domingo
April 05, 2018
I am a victim of identity theft, and I am also being sabotage online someone had accessed my accounts online and uses my personal information and business to impersonate me. I am reporting that someone pretends to be my developer and created an admin. account. please look into this. thank you.
Kristen Cole
April 12, 2018
I mailed in a tax ID theft affidavit months ago and have heard nothing back from the IRS whatsoever, apparently I should have been contacted in 30days, this is a constant for me regarding contact response of ID theft reporting. What do I do
Guest
February 29, 2020
How can I see who filed my name on taxes in 2018 and I didnt even file. Now I have been working since March 2019 I did file this year but the last time I filed was in 2009 or 2010. Someone is filing false taxing by filing me and i want to know how i can find out.
FTC Staff
March 30, 2020

In reply to by Guest

If someone is using your name to file taxes, that is identity theft. You can report tax identity theft to the FTC and the IRS and get help. Go to www.IdentityTheft.gov. Click on the button that says "Get Started" and report that someone filed a federal tax return using your information.

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