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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallIf you think someone used your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for a federal tax return, start with any IRS notice you received. Follow that notice’s identity-verification instructions and call the number printed on it. If no notice controls the case, check whether your situation fits the current Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, and submit that form once if appropriate. For account questions, use the IRS identity-theft assistance line at 800-908-4490; for wider identity theft, use IdentityTheft.gov as well. An IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) can reduce the risk of another fraudulent federal return.
Choose the reporting path before you send anything
Tax-information misuse can look similar in several situations, but the correct response differs. Use this decision table to identify the first action.
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| What happened | First action | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| You received an IRS identity-verification notice | Confirm the notice is genuine, then use its instructions and phone number. | Successful verification may eliminate the need for Form 14039. |
| Your legitimate e-filed return was rejected because a return already used your SSN or ITIN | Keep filing your real return, switch to paper if necessary, and report the suspected identity theft. | Submit Form 14039 only once for the incident, following the current instructions. |
| You suspect a fraudulent federal return but have no controlling notice | Review the current Form 14039 scenarios and file the affidavit if your facts match. | The form is limited to listed tax-related identity-theft situations. |
| A person sent a fake IRS email, text, call or social-media message | Stop communicating and use the IRS scam or fake-message reporting route. | This is different from correcting your own compromised tax account. |
| Your personal information was stolen beyond the tax system | Use IdentityTheft.gov recovery steps and contact affected financial institutions and agencies. | You may need credit, banking and state-tax remedies in addition to IRS contact. |
Do not send money or additional personal information to a suspected scammer. A purchased monitoring product is not required to report tax-information misuse or to ask the IRS for help.
When an IRS notice tells you what to do
Verify the notice first
Unexpected letters can be imitated, so confirm that the notice is from the IRS before sharing information. Use the IRS website to check the notice format and, when possible, rely on the telephone number printed on the letter rather than a number supplied by a caller, email or text. Keep the original letter, its envelope and a copy of anything you send.
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Follow identity-verification instructions
Some notices ask you to verify your identity and confirm whether you filed a particular return. CP5447-series notices are an example. Complete the verification and return-confirmation steps exactly as directed. If the IRS accepts your verification and confirms that you filed the return, the agency says not to send Form 14039 unless it specifically requests it. Filing a second affidavit can delay matching the case to the correct account.
Record every contact
Write down the date, time, telephone number, representative’s name or identification details, notice number and instructions you received. Save confirmation numbers, uploaded documents and mailing receipts. If the notice gives a deadline, put it on your calendar and respond before it expires. A notice’s instructions take priority over general internet advice.
If your legitimate e-filed return is rejected
A rejection stating that a return has already been filed with your SSN or ITIN usually means the IRS system has already accepted a return using that identifier. It does not mean you should abandon your own filing.
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- Read the rejection code and message. Save the electronic rejection record or print it. The message may tell you that the SSN or ITIN was already used.
- Confirm the identifying information. Check every SSN or ITIN, date of birth and dependent identifier on your return. A transcription error can produce a duplicate-return rejection without identity theft.
- File your accurate return. If repeated e-file attempts fail because of the duplicate filing, prepare a complete paper return and mail it using a trackable service. Include any documents and schedules required for your return and retain a full copy.
- Report the suspected identity theft. Use the current Form 14039 instructions for the duplicate-return situation and submit one affidavit for this incident. Do not mail multiple copies to different IRS addresses unless the instructions or an IRS representative direct you to do so.
- Monitor for follow-up. The IRS may send a letter asking for identity verification or additional records. Respond through the channel and by the deadline shown in that letter.
Paper filing can take longer to process, but it preserves your filing obligation while the IRS works on the identity-theft issue. Keep proof of timely mailing and copies of the signed return.
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When Form 14039 is the appropriate report
Check the current scenarios
Form 14039 is an Identity Theft Affidavit for defined tax-related identity-theft situations. The current revision is dated February 2026. Read the form and its instructions rather than relying on an older copy or assuming every stolen-identity event qualifies. Typical qualifying facts include a fraudulent federal return filed with your SSN or ITIN, or an IRS process showing that another return has already used that identifier.
The form is not a general report for every scam, data breach or suspected tax-law violation. If your issue is only a fake message, use the IRS scam-reporting route. If another person or business is violating tax law and your own tax account is not compromised, use the IRS information-referral route instead.
Submit it once
Use the submission method and address shown in the February 2026 form. The IRS allows online submission in applicable cases and gives mail or fax directions where those methods apply. Complete every required field, describe what happened in factual terms and attach only the documents requested or useful under the instructions. Sign and date the affidavit.
Do not submit another Form 14039 for the same incident because you have not received an immediate response. A duplicate can create parallel records and slow resolution. If your circumstances change, use the contact method the IRS supplied in its acknowledgment or notice and ask how to add information to the existing case.
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Getting help with an IRS tax account
The IRS lists 800-908-4490 for specialized identity-theft assistance. Current guidance gives hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time, but hours can change; verify them on IRS.gov before relying on that schedule. When you have an IRS letter, use its printed number first because it routes you to the notice-specific process.
Have these items ready before calling:
- Your SSN or ITIN, legal name and current mailing address.
- The notice number, date and tax year involved.
- Your filing status and the date you submitted your legitimate return.
- The e-file rejection record, if applicable.
- Copies of correspondence, Form 14039 submission evidence and delivery receipts.
- A pen or secure way to record the representative’s instructions and any confirmation number.
The IRS will use identity-verification questions before discussing protected account information. Do not provide your full SSN, payment details or account passwords to an unsolicited caller; call back through an official number instead.
If the incident began with a scam or a wider data theft
Stop the immediate loss
End contact with the person or channel that requested money or personal information. Do not click additional links, install software at the caller’s direction or “verify” an account by sending a code. If you paid or disclosed banking or card details, contact the financial institution immediately and ask about stopping, reversing or securing the transaction. Change exposed passwords from a trusted device and enable multifactor authentication where available.
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IdentityTheft.gov provides a recovery plan for stolen personal information outside the federal tax account. Follow its steps for documenting the theft, contacting businesses, replacing identity documents and disputing fraudulent accounts. Report the stolen SSN or ITIN to the IRS as part of the tax-account response, and notify your state tax agency because a state return may also be at risk.
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Contain credit and account damage
If a breach exposed information used for credit, consider placing a fraud alert or a credit freeze with a major credit bureau. A fraud alert tells prospective creditors to take additional steps before opening credit; a freeze restricts access to your credit file until you lift it. Close accounts opened without permission, obtain written confirmation of closure and review statements for recurring charges. These measures address broader identity theft; they do not replace the IRS filing or verification process.
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Choosing the wrong route can leave the actual problem unresolved. Match the report to the conduct.
| Problem | Correct route | What the route is for |
|---|---|---|
| Your SSN or ITIN was used on a federal return | IRS identity-theft assistance and, when the facts fit, Form 14039 | Correcting and protecting your federal tax account. |
| Fake IRS email, text, call or message | IRS fake-message or scam reporting process | Reporting impersonation and warning the IRS about the communication. |
| Suspected tax-law violation by another person or business | IRS fraud or information-referral process, including Form 3949-A where applicable | Providing information about possible violations; it is not a substitute for fixing your own account. |
| Identity theft affecting banking, credit, benefits or documents | IdentityTheft.gov, financial institutions, credit bureaus and relevant agencies | Coordinating recovery outside federal tax administration. |
Warning signs of an IRS impersonation scam include an unexpected contact, threats, extreme urgency, promises of a refund and pressure to provide personal or financial information. The IRS does not require you to pay an unsolicited caller to “unlock” a refund.
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Prevent another fraudulent federal return
Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN
An IP PIN is a free, six-digit IRS code that helps prevent misuse of your SSN or ITIN on fraudulent federal income-tax returns. A new code is generated each year. Taxpayers enrolled in the program must enter the current PIN on applicable federal returns filed during that calendar year. Keep the code private; the IRS will not ask you to disclose it to an unsolicited contact.
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Eligible taxpayers can enroll through an IRS Online Account or follow the current IRS enrollment instructions. If the IRS confirms you as an identity-theft victim, it marks the account with an identity-theft indicator and enrolls confirmed victims in the IP PIN program, with a new PIN issued annually. Voluntary enrollment can still be useful when you want an additional barrier before a fraudulent return is filed.
Use an IRS Online Account
An IRS Online Account lets you monitor tax-account activity and notices in one place. Check it periodically for unfamiliar filings, balance changes, payment activity or address updates. Keep your account email and authentication methods current, and sign in only through IRS.gov rather than a link in a message.
What happens after the IRS accepts the case
A confirmed tax-related identity-theft case is assigned to the IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance organization. The IRS compares the legitimate taxpayer’s information with the fraudulent filing, secures the account and may request additional proof. Processing time varies with the facts and the documents required, so answer each IRS letter promptly rather than sending duplicate forms.
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After the tax-account issue is resolved, the IRS says it places an identity-theft indicator on the account. Confirmed victims are enrolled in the IP PIN program and receive a new PIN each year. Continue checking your account and retain the case correspondence even after the immediate discrepancy is corrected.
Records that make recovery easier
Create one secure file—digital or paper—for the incident. Include:
- The original IRS notice, envelope and every subsequent letter.
- Your filed federal and state returns for the affected year.
- E-file rejection messages, confirmation pages and paper-mailing receipts.
- Copies of Form 14039, the date and method of submission and delivery confirmation.
- A call log with dates, numbers, representatives, instructions and reference numbers.
- Bank, card, credit-bureau and IdentityTheft.gov reports related to the same theft.
- A timeline showing when you discovered the problem and when each action was taken.
Store the file where a scammer cannot access it, and redact unnecessary account numbers before sharing copies. Send documents only through the secure channel named by the IRS or another legitimate agency.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes to avoid
- Ignoring a notice. A notice deadline can control the case, and some notices require verification rather than an affidavit.
- Sending Form 14039 automatically. Check the current February 2026 scenarios and any notice instructions first.
- Submitting several affidavits. One complete submission per incident is the IRS direction unless the agency asks for another.
- Abandoning a rejected return. File the legitimate return, using paper when e-filing cannot succeed.
- Using the fraud-referral form for your own account. A report about another taxpayer’s suspected violation does not correct your compromised return.
- Trusting an incoming caller. Hang up and call an official number, especially when the caller demands immediate payment or a one-time code.
- Assuming tax protection solves all identity theft. Banking, credit, benefit and state-tax accounts may need separate containment.
- Relying on old form editions or phone hours. Check IRS.gov for the current form, submission instructions and service hours.
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