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Do not rely only on the copy the preparer gave you. A signed copy can differ from the return transmitted to the IRS. Refund diversion may require bank records and a signed law-enforcement report, and neither the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) nor the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) guarantees recovery or a particular processing time.
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Take these steps first
- Preserve evidence. Keep the copy the preparer gave you, the return you signed or intended to file, IRS notices, account transcripts, refund calculations, Form 8879 or another e-file authorization, invoices, advertisements, emails, text messages, and payment records. Save original files and make working copies; do not edit screenshots or PDFs.
- Separate the tax questions from the money trail. Note which entries are wrong, what refund you expected, what the IRS shows as filed, and where any payment went. Create a dated chronology while events are fresh.
- Contact the financial institution promptly if a refund was diverted. Ask what documentation it needs to investigate an unauthorized deposit or transfer. Bank procedures and recovery options vary, so keep confirmation numbers and written responses.
- Watch every IRS deadline. If a notice, examination letter, or penalty notice is pending, calendar its response date and send a complete response even while the preparer complaint is under review.
These steps protect your position while you determine which IRS process fits your facts. Filing a complaint does not itself change the tax account or guarantee that money will be returned.
Find out what the IRS actually received
Compare three versions when possible: the information you gave the preparer, the copy you were shown or signed, and the IRS account record. Request an IRS account transcript and retain the notice or transcript date. Check names, filing status, dependents, wages and other income, deductions, credits, withholding, bank-routing information, and the preparer’s identifying details.
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A transcript confirms what was posted to the account, but it may not explain every attachment or authorization. Keep the complete return, e-file authorization, and communications alongside it. If the preparer claims that an IRS change was merely an adjustment, compare the notice’s explanation with the original filed data rather than assuming the preparer’s version is accurate.
Choose the right reporting route
| Problem | Primary route | What it does | Key limits or evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| False deductions, expenses, credits, exemptions, dependents, overstated Forms W-2 or 1099, altered documents, theft of a refund, or a ghost preparer | Form 14157, Complaint: Tax Return Preparer | Reports suspected preparer misconduct to the IRS | It is a complaint; it does not by itself amend or correct your tax account |
| An individual Form 1040-series return was filed or altered without your knowledge or consent, or the refund was directed to an account that was not yours | Form 14157-A, Tax Return Preparer Fraud or Misconduct Affidavit | Requests that the IRS change an individual tax account to the information you intended to file | It is for individual Form 1040-series accounts, not a general business-account form; refund cases may require bank evidence and an official law-enforcement report |
| Your SSN, ITIN, or other tax information was stolen or used to file without authorization | Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, plus the IRS identity-theft process | Alerts the IRS to identity theft and starts its identity-verification process | Use it when identity misuse is involved; preparer misconduct reporting may still be appropriate |
| Qualifying criminal conduct or identity misuse requiring an investigative complaint | TIGTA | Receives complaints involving possible misconduct, fraud, or abuse connected with the tax system | It is an escalation or investigative channel, not a guaranteed refund-recovery service |
| The IRS problem remains unresolved after you supplied the required information | Taxpayer Advocate Service | May help with a significant IRS processing or account problem that has not been resolved through normal channels | TAS cannot guarantee a result or processing time |
Report the preparer with Form 14157
When to use it
Use Form 14157 for false items or documents, a preparer who changed information, theft or diversion of a refund, a preparer who would not sign the return (a “ghost preparer”), or other misconduct. The form specifically identifies false expenses, deductions, credits, exemptions, dependents, and overstated Forms W-2 or 1099 as examples.
How to prepare the complaint
- Identify the preparer. Provide the name, business name, address, telephone number, and any preparer tax identification or other information shown on your paperwork. Include the location where you met or paid the preparer if it helps identify the person.
- Describe the conduct precisely. State the tax year, return type, entries you believe are false, what you supplied or authorized, and how the filed return differs. Use amounts and line descriptions from the return or transcript rather than broad accusations.
- Explain the refund issue separately. State the expected refund, the amount actually received, the date and account involved, and why the account was not yours or the transfer was not authorized.
- Attach copies, not irreplaceable originals. Include the signed or intended return, the IRS transcript or notice, e-file authorization, invoices, communications, advertisements, payment records, and bank or refund documentation that supports your account.
- Sign and submit it as the current instructions direct. IRS forms and submission methods change. Check the revision and mailing or other delivery instructions immediately before sending, and retain proof of delivery and a complete copy.
Keep the complaint factual. The IRS evaluates the difference between the intended and filed returns together with corroborating communications and records.
Request an account correction with Form 14157-A
Confirm that you meet the form’s purpose
Form 14157-A is for an individual seeking a change to a tax account when a preparer filed a Form 1040-series return or altered that return without the taxpayer’s knowledge or consent. The form’s September 2026 revision states: “Complete and sign this form if (1) a tax return preparer filed a Form 1040 series tax return or altered your Form 1040 series tax return without your knowledge or consent AND (2) you are seeking a change to your tax account.”
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This is the account-correction request. Form 14157 remains the preparer-misconduct complaint. Many cases require both, because one reports the conduct and the other asks the IRS to correct the individual account.
Build the correction package
- Complete the taxpayer identification and tax-year information exactly as it appears on the IRS account.
- Describe what you intended to file and what was filed or changed without consent. Identify altered income, deductions, credits, dependents, filing status, signatures, or bank instructions.
- Include the return or figures you intended to submit, the preparer’s copy, the IRS transcript or notice, and communications showing your instructions or objection.
- If the refund was sent elsewhere or you received no refund or only part of it, attach refund calculations, bank statements, deposit records, and correspondence with the financial institution.
- Sign the affidavit and follow the current Form 14157-A instructions for submission. Verify the revision date before filing.
Meet the law-enforcement requirement when applicable
IRS instructions call for an official law-enforcement report when a refund was stolen or you received no refund or only part of it. The Taxpayer Advocate Service advises contacting your local police department and filing a report naming the return preparer as a suspect. Ask the agency for a report that identifies the tax year, the preparer’s name and address, and describes the misconduct and theft. Include the signed report with the Form 14157-A package when the instructions require it.
Do not substitute a personal statement for an official report if the form instructions require the latter. If a law-enforcement agency declines to take a report, document the request, the agency’s response, and any incident number, then explain the circumstances in your submission.
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If someone used your SSN, ITIN, or other tax information to file without authorization, complete Form 14039 and follow the IRS identity-theft process. Identity theft can coexist with preparer misconduct—for example, a preparer may have used information beyond the return you authorized—so a Form 14157 complaint may still be appropriate.
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Describe exactly what information was misused, which tax year is affected, and which return or transaction you recognize. Keep copies of identity-verification correspondence and respond to IRS requests by their stated dates. Do not assume that filing Form 14039 alone will correct every false deduction or refund-routing entry; use Form 14157-A when you are seeking correction of an individual Form 1040 account.
Respond if the IRS sends a notice, audit letter, or penalty
Read the notice’s tax year, issue, response deadline, and payment instructions. Send a written explanation that the return is disputed because of preparer fraud or unauthorized alteration, and include the relevant form and evidence. Use the notice’s response address or electronic method, retain delivery confirmation, and keep a copy of everything submitted.
Continue to address procedural requirements even if the preparer is under investigation. A complaint does not automatically suspend collection, an examination, or a penalty. If the notice concerns a business return, a state return, or a tax period outside the individual Form 1040 process, do not use Form 14157-A as a substitute for the procedure that applies to that account.
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TIGTA
Submit a TIGTA complaint when the facts involve qualifying crime, fraud, abuse, or identity misuse connected with the tax system. Provide the same organized chronology and supporting records used for the IRS forms. TIGTA’s role is investigative; it does not promise a refund, a criminal charge, or a processing schedule.
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Taxpayer Advocate Service
Contact TAS when you have supplied the required information and the IRS problem remains unresolved, or when an unresolved account problem is causing significant hardship. Give TAS copies of notices, prior submissions, delivery proof, and the specific relief you are seeking. TAS assistance does not guarantee a particular outcome or timing.
Independent professional advice
Consider a qualified tax controversy attorney or another independent tax professional when the loss is large, an examination or collection action is active, penalties are substantial, multiple tax years are involved, or you may pursue civil damages. Choose someone independent of the preparer and provide the complete evidence file. State civil claims, professional-liability deadlines, criminal prosecution, and damages rules vary by jurisdiction and facts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common fact patterns and the correct response
The preparer added deductions or credits you never claimed
Compare your intended figures with the filed return and transcript. Report the false items on Form 14157. If the unauthorized filing or alteration affects an individual Form 1040 account, add Form 14157-A with the return and communications showing what you authorized.
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The preparer changed the bank account
Document the account and routing numbers you authorized, the numbers on the filed return, the refund amount, and any bank response. File Form 14157 for theft or diversion and Form 14157-A for the individual account correction. Obtain the official law-enforcement report if the Form 14157-A instructions require it for a missing or partial refund.
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The preparer filed before you approved anything
Save messages showing that no approval or e-file authorization was given. Obtain the IRS transcript, report the preparer on Form 14157, and request correction with Form 14157-A if the return is an individual Form 1040-series filing.
The preparer will not provide a copy or did not sign
Keep invoices, payment records, advertisements, appointment details, and messages identifying the preparer. A preparer who refuses to sign may be a ghost preparer; report that conduct on Form 14157 and explain what documents are missing.
Know the boundaries of these procedures
- The procedures described here address U.S. federal individual income-tax preparer misconduct, principally Form 1040-series accounts.
- Business accounts, partnership or corporate returns, payroll taxes, and state returns can require different forms and agencies.
- An amended return may or may not be the correct remedy for a fraudulent filing; do not assume that filing one replaces Form 14157-A or the response to an IRS notice.
- State tax agencies, civil lawsuits, criminal prosecution, and professional-liability deadlines depend on the jurisdiction and facts.
- IRS forms and instructions change. Verify the current revision and submission method immediately before filing.
After you submit: maintain a case file
Keep a single folder—paper, electronic, or both—with the signed forms, attachments, transcript, notices, delivery confirmations, law-enforcement report, bank correspondence, and a call log. Record the date, agency, representative’s name or identification number when provided, and any reference number. If you send additional evidence, label it with the tax year and the form or notice it supports.
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