Ask Terry Questions Income Tax Identity Theft!!

Income Tax Identity Theft!!

By Terry Savage on September 26, 2022 | Taxes & Economy

One day after filing my income taxes via assistance from AARP I WAS INFORMED THAT TAXES WERE DENIED DUE TO SOMEONE ELSE ALREADY FILED UNDER MY S
NUMBER. I have contacted and resent forms as requested X2 and still no response. What can I do next?

Terry Says

Whew. YOu have been the victim of Identity Theft and it is truly a mess.

Start by reading this article on the IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/taxpayer-guide-to-identity-theft

Here are the basics from the Taxpayer Advocate’s office:

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You tried to file electronically, but the IRS said someone already filed using the SSN or ITIN of you or your dependent(s).

If you can’t file your tax return electronically because someone has already used the SSN or ITIN of you or your dependent(s) to file a tax return, you must file a paper tax return, within 10 calendar days (not 10 business days) from the date it was rejected along with an affidavit or police report (see below) explaining that you are a victim of ID theft. You will need to:

Print and sign a paper copy of your tax return. The paper tax return should include the following:
An explanation of why the paper return is being filed after the due date, if applicable;
A copy of the e-file reject notification; and
Write “REJECTED ELECTRONIC RETURN – (MM-DD-YYYY)” in red at the top of the first page.
Fill out a Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit; and
Submit your signed tax return and signed Form 14039 to the IRS at the appropriate address for your state.
Note: If you’ve filed a police report, you can submit that to the IRS instead of Form 14039.

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My other suggestions:
First, establish an IRS, ID.me account. REad this: https://www.terrysavage.com/create-an-irs-account-for-info/

Second, you need to contact the office of Taxpayer Assistance — and that’s not easy either. Start here:
https://www.irs.gov/taxpayer-advocate

And third, you need to lock down your credit. So follow the instructions in this article:
https://www.terrysavage.com/identity-theft-update

And then you’re going to go through a time-consuming process of establishing your identity.

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