Verify it through a channel you open yourself—not through a phone number, link, QR code or payment instruction in the message. Check the notice in your IRS Online Account and in the IRS notice and letter search. If you still have doubts, navigate independently to IRS.gov and use its customer-service contact information. The IRS says, “A letter or notice is the first way the IRS will contact a taxpayer.” It does not make threatening or urgent calls, demand immediate payment, threaten arrest, or call to announce that you have a refund.
A real IRS notice can concern a refund. Notices such as CP05B, CP05A and CP12 explain specific refund reviews or corrections, while CP5071-series notices and Letter 5447C can request identity verification. The notice number, subject, dates and response method must all match official IRS information before you act.
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The safest verification sequence
- Stop and do not respond through the unexpected contact. Do not click its links, scan its QR code, call its number, disclose personal or financial information, or send payment. If the contact is a letter, set it aside while you verify it; if it is a call, voicemail, text or email, do not reply.
- Find the notice independently. Sign in to your IRS Online Account and search the IRS notice and letter database for the notice number printed on the document.
- Compare the details. Check the notice number, title, reason for contact, tax year, response deadline and permitted response channel against the official IRS information. Compare every page, not just the first page or the logo.
- Contact the IRS independently if anything remains unclear. Type IRS.gov into your browser yourself and use the customer-service route shown there, rather than any contact information supplied in the letter, email, text or voicemail.
- Act only through the authenticated route. If the notice is genuine, use the response date, upload method, mailing address or telephone number printed in the authenticated notice.
Caller ID, a familiar-looking logo, correct personal details or a telephone number that appears to belong to the government does not prove authenticity. Scammers can copy branding and manipulate caller ID. A caller may also know your name, address, filing status or part of your Social Security number because information has been stolen or is publicly available.
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1. Record what the document says
Before calling anyone, write down the notice number (usually beginning with “CP” or “Letter”), tax year, date, stated reason, response deadline and requested action. Keep the envelope and every page. A genuine notice may ask for documents, explain a refund change or request identity verification, but the exact instructions vary by notice.
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Check whether the document identifies a specific return, tax year or adjustment. Note whether it asks you to upload records, mail copies, call about a missing refund or verify a return. Those details give an IRS representative something precise to authenticate and help you avoid mixing a real notice with a separate scam.
2. Look up the notice number
Open the IRS notice and letter search by navigating to IRS.gov yourself. Search the complete notice number, including its suffix where shown. Read the official page’s subject and instructions and compare them with the paper copy. Also check your IRS Online Account for a corresponding notice or account message. A match is strong evidence that the notice type exists, but it is not a reason to follow an altered address, QR code or payment demand on a suspicious copy.
Compare the stated reason, tax year, response deadline and document list. A copied notice can use a real CP number while changing the phone number, web address, mailing address or requested payment. Treat the official IRS page as a description of the notice type, not as permission to ignore discrepancies in the document you received.
3. Confirm through an independent IRS contact route
If the notice is missing from your account, the number cannot be found, or its instructions conflict with the official page, do not use the contact details printed in the questionable document. Navigate independently to IRS.gov and use the customer-service information there. Tell the representative that you are authenticating a notice and provide the notice number and tax year without volunteering unrelated financial information.
Do not let a purported agent keep you from checking. You can end the conversation and call an official number yourself. The IRS’s July 8, 2025 Tax Tip, “Ways to tell if the IRS is reaching out or if it’s a scammer,” identifies a letter or notice as the first IRS contact and advises taxpayers to use IRS.gov to check whether a communication is genuine.
4. Follow only the authenticated deadline and channel
Once the notice is confirmed, respond by the date shown on the actual notice. Use the submission method described in the official instructions, such as the IRS upload service or the mailing address printed on the notice. Retain copies, postal tracking and upload confirmations. If you speak with the IRS, record the date, the representative’s name or identification information if provided, and what was agreed.
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Do not send original records unless the authenticated instructions specifically require them. Make legible copies and remove unrelated information when the official instructions allow it. A deadline on a fake notice is not a real deadline, while a genuine deadline can affect refund processing, so authentication should happen promptly rather than waiting until the last day.
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An unexpected refund notice is not automatically fraudulent. These are examples of legitimate IRS communications; the examples themselves do not authenticate a particular piece of mail. Verify every document through IRS.gov or your IRS Online Account.
| Notice | Why the IRS issues it | What the recipient should do |
|---|---|---|
| CP05B | The return claims a refund, but reported income does not match third-party documents such as W-2, W-2G or 1099 forms. The IRS may hold the refund while it reviews supporting information. | Respond by the date on the notice. If you have not received the refund or further IRS communication within 60 days, call the number on the authenticated notice to ask about the return’s status. |
| CP05A | The IRS requests documents to verify income and federal withholding before issuing a refund. | Provide the acceptable supporting documents and use the response options in the authenticated notice. |
| CP12 | The IRS corrected one or more return errors, changing the expected refund. | Read the explanation of what changed. If you disagree, use the number and response date shown on the authenticated notice. |
| CP5071-series or Letter 5447C | The IRS requests identity and return verification. | Use the IRS return-verification service only if you received one of these named communications. If you did not file the return, report that through the service or the IRS identity-theft process. |
For CP05B, the 60-day instruction is notice-specific: if no refund or IRS communication arrives within 60 days, the IRS says to call the number on the notice to inquire about the return. It is not a general promise that every refund will arrive within 60 days.
For CP5071-series and Letter 5447C verification, the IRS says to wait two to three weeks after using the service to check a refund; processing can take up to nine weeks after verification. Those are estimates for that specific identity-verification process, not a general promise for every refund. The IRS CP12 page was last reviewed or updated November 4, 2025, illustrating why you should read the current notice page rather than rely on an old blog post or image.
How to judge an IRS phone call or voicemail
The IRS may call after sending an initial letter, for example to confirm an appointment or discuss a scheduled audit. That limited situation is different from an unsolicited call announcing a refund or demanding money. Private collection agencies working for the IRS may also call about account matters, but the IRS says neither they nor the IRS call to announce a refund, threaten arrest or demand immediate payment.
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Signals that the call is a scam
- The caller says you are about to be arrested, deported or reported unless you pay immediately.
- The caller announces an unexpected refund and asks for your bank details, Social Security number, gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or a payment through an unusual service.
- The caller insists you stay on the line, threatens you for seeking advice, or refuses to let you independently call the IRS.
- The call is the first contact about an alleged tax problem and there was no preceding IRS letter.
- A voicemail is urgent or threatening, or directs you to call a number, click a link or scan a QR code.
- The caller says a refund will be released only after you pay a processing fee or “verification” charge.
The IRS states: “The IRS or private collection agencies may call you to address account matters. We never call to demand payment now, threaten arrest or inform you of a refund.” This wording appears in the Internal Revenue Service guidance on reporting fake IRS, Treasury or tax-related emails and messages.
What to do during a suspicious call
- Do not confirm your identity, account numbers, filing information or address. Do not make a payment.
- Say you will contact the IRS independently, then hang up. You do not need to argue with the caller.
- Record the telephone number, caller ID, date, time, claimed employee name, callback number and the exact demand. Save the voicemail.
- Navigate to IRS.gov and verify whether a notice or appointment exists in your IRS Online Account or through the official customer-service route.
- Report the suspicious IRS-related call to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) through its official hotline or website.
A legitimate IRS employee should not object to you ending an unexpected call and using IRS.gov to verify it. Do not call back merely because the number has a Washington, D.C., area code or appears in a search result; independently reached IRS.gov contact information is the safer route.
Email, text and social-media messages
The IRS says it does not initiate contact through email or social media. It sends text messages only with the taxpayer’s permission. An unsolicited message claiming to release a refund, correct your bank details or prevent enforcement is therefore not an IRS authentication channel.
- Do not reply, click links, open attachments or scan QR codes in a suspicious message.
- Do not enter tax, identity or banking information on a page reached from the message.
- Keep the original message and its technical details if possible, then follow the IRS instructions for reporting suspicious texts or emails, including the reporting address [email protected] where applicable.
- Verify any underlying tax issue through IRS.gov or your IRS Online Account.
A text or email may imitate an authentic notice number. Treat the number as a search term for independent verification, not as proof that the message is official. Permission for an IRS text message does not make every message genuine; still avoid links and verify through your account or IRS.gov.
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| More consistent with an authentic notice | Strong scam indicators |
|---|---|
| A notice number and subject that match the IRS notice database. | A refund announcement made by an unexpected caller, email or text. |
| A stated tax year, explanation and response deadline. | Threats of arrest, immediate seizure or other urgent punishment. |
| Document submission through the response method described on the authenticated notice. | Immediate payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or an unusual payment link. |
| Contact information confirmed by navigating independently to IRS.gov. | A demand to use only the phone number, link, QR code or email address supplied by the contact. |
| A call that follows an initial letter and concerns a scheduled appointment or audit. | A caller who refuses to let you hang up and verify independently. |
If you already shared information or paid
If you disclosed a Social Security number or ITIN
Use the IRS identity-theft guidance and report the incident to IdentityTheft.gov and the IRS. Consider notifying your state tax agency. Keep a written record of what was disclosed, when and to whom, and monitor tax-account activity and financial accounts. Do not assume that a failed payment means the information is harmless; exposed identity data can be reused later.
If someone filed a return using your information
Follow the IRS identity-theft instructions and complete Form 14039 when the IRS guidance says it applies. Preserve copies of the fraudulent communication, return-related notices and your reports. Tell the IRS exactly which return or notice you recognize and which you do not.
If you sent money
Contact the payment provider or financial institution immediately and ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed. Then report the IRS-related scam to TIGTA and follow the IRS “If you were scammed” guidance. Be cautious of a second caller promising to recover your money for an upfront fee; the IRS warns that victims may be targeted again.
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If you responded to a suspicious text or email
Stop further communication, do not open additional attachments, and report the message according to the IRS phishing instructions. Change any password that was exposed, especially if it was reused elsewhere, and review account security settings. If you entered banking details, notify the bank and ask what account safeguards or replacement steps are appropriate.
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A practical decision checklist
- Unexpected contact? Pause; do not click, call back or pay.
- Paper notice? Search its notice number in the IRS notice and letter database and check your IRS Online Account.
- Notice number found? Compare its title, tax year, reason, deadline and response method with the official page.
- Still uncertain? Use customer-service information reached by navigating to IRS.gov yourself.
- Phone call? Expect a prior letter for an appointment or audit; reject refund announcements, threats and immediate-payment demands.
- Information already exposed? Report identity theft, contact your financial institution, preserve records and watch for recovery scams.
These checks protect both your money and your tax information without requiring a paid product. Authentication comes from the IRS’s own account, notice database and independently reached contact routes. Official instructions and online services can change, so use the current IRS.gov page when you verify a notice or report a scam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the IRS call to tell me I have a refund?
No. The IRS says it never calls to inform you of a refund. An agent may call after an initial letter about an appointment or scheduled audit, but an unsolicited refund announcement is a scam warning.
What is the first way the IRS contacts a taxpayer?
The IRS says a letter or notice is the first contact. Verify the notice in your IRS Online Account and the IRS notice and letter search, then use contact information reached independently through IRS.gov.
Can a real IRS refund notice be a CP05B, CP05A or CP12?
Yes. CP05B can hold a refund while an income mismatch is reviewed, CP05A requests income and withholding documents, and CP12 explains a correction that changes a refund. The notice number alone does not authenticate your copy; compare it with IRS.gov.
What should I do if a caller threatens arrest unless I pay?
Do not confirm information or pay. Hang up, save the caller’s number and voicemail, verify your account through IRS.gov, and report the IRS-related call to TIGTA.
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How long should I wait after CP5071 or Letter 5447C verification?
The IRS says to wait two to three weeks after using its verification service to check a refund; processing may take up to nine weeks after verification. Those estimates apply to that specific process.
Where should I report a suspicious IRS text or email?
Do not reply, click links or open attachments. Keep the message and follow the IRS phishing-reporting instructions; the IRS identifies [email protected] for applicable suspicious messages.
What if I gave a scammer my Social Security number or ITIN?
Use IRS identity-theft guidance, report the incident to IdentityTheft.gov and the IRS, and consider notifying your state tax agency. Preserve records and monitor your tax and financial accounts.
Do I need to buy software or a device to authenticate an IRS call?
No. The IRS Online Account, notice and letter search, IRS.gov contact routes and TIGTA reporting process provide the needed verification and reporting steps.
The Bottom Line
When a refund contact surprises you, stop and verify independently. Check the notice number in your IRS Online Account and the IRS notice database, and reach customer service only through IRS.gov. The IRS does not call to announce refunds, threaten arrest or demand immediate payment. Hang up on those calls, preserve the details, report them to TIGTA, and use IRS identity-theft guidance if information or money was exposed.
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