To report tax-related identity theft, call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in your local time zone. Alaska and Hawaii callers follow Pacific time.1Internal Revenue Service. Retrieve Your IP PIN Agents on that line are trained specifically to secure compromised tax accounts, flag them for identity theft, and walk you through what to do next.
What the 800-908-4490 Line Can and Can’t Do
This number is strictly for identity theft matters. Agents can flag your account, answer questions about suspicious IRS notices, verify your identity, and help resolve account issues caused by a fraudulent return.2Internal Revenue Service. Reporting Identity Theft They cannot pull up refund status or handle general tax questions, so don’t use this line for anything unrelated to identity theft.3Internal Revenue Service. Identity Theft Guide for Individuals
Call 800-908-4490 if you haven’t received an IRS notice but suspect someone used your Social Security number or ITIN to file a return. The classic trigger is an e-filed return getting rejected because a return already exists under your SSN.4Internal Revenue Service. Reporting Identity Theft
If You Already Got an IRS Letter, Call That Number Instead
When the IRS has already sent you a notice about suspicious activity, call the number printed on that letter rather than the general identity theft line. The letter routes you to the specific team handling your case, which is usually faster. Common identity verification letters include Letter 5071C (verify online), Letter 4883C (verify by phone), and Letter 5747C (verify in person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center).5Internal Revenue Service. What Taxpayers Should Do if They Get an Identity Theft Letter from the IRS Follow the letter’s instructions exactly; they contain everything the IRS needs.
Calling From Outside the U.S.
If you live outside the United States, call the International Taxpayer Service Call Center at 267-941-1000. This line is not toll-free and operates Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time.6Internal Revenue Service. Contact My Local Office Internationally
Do You Also Need to File Form 14039?
Most people don’t. If the IRS already caught the suspicious return and sent you a letter (5071C, 4883C, or 5747C), your job is to follow that letter’s instructions. Filing Form 14039 on top of a live case creates duplicates that slow everything down.7Internal Revenue Service. When to File an Identity Theft Affidavit
You should file Form 14039 only when:
- Your e-filed return was rejected as a duplicate and the IRS hasn’t contacted you.
- The IRS specifically asked you to file it.
- You want to alert the IRS proactively, for example after a data breach, so the account gets flagged before someone tries to file under your SSN.
Don’t use Form 14039 for non-tax identity theft such as a stolen credit card or a fraudulent bank account. Those go to the FTC and your financial institution.7Internal Revenue Service. When to File an Identity Theft Affidavit Businesses, trusts, estates, and tax-exempt organizations use Form 14039-B instead.8Internal Revenue Service. Guide to Employment-Related Identity Theft
How to Submit the Affidavit
The IRS prefers online submission through irs.gov/dmaf/form/f14039. The digital tool walks you through each field and avoids the legibility problems that get paper forms kicked back.9Internal Revenue Service. Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit You can also mail or fax the form; the correct destination depends on your situation and appears in the form’s instructions. If you’re responding to an IRS notice, use the address or fax number on that notice.
Pick one submission method. Sending the same form by more than one route creates duplicate filings and causes delays.9Internal Revenue Service. Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit If your e-file was rejected as a duplicate and you need to submit a paper return, attach the completed Form 14039 to the back of the return and mail it to your state’s IRS filing address, or mail the two separately if that’s easier.10Internal Revenue Service. IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance: How It Works
Include clear copies of any supporting documents you have: a copy of the fraudulent return if you can obtain one, any IRS notices you received, and a government-issued photo ID.10Internal Revenue Service. IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance: How It Works
What Happens After You Report
Once the IRS receives your Form 14039, the case goes to the Identity Theft Victim Assistance (IDTVA) team. They review your claim, check whether the theft touched more than one tax year, and work to remove any fraudulent returns from your account.10Internal Revenue Service. IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance: How It Works
The IRS’s stated resolution target is 120 days. Actual timelines are longer. As of early fiscal year 2025, the average resolution time was 506 days, roughly 17 months, down from 676 days in fiscal year 2024. The agency has been working through a backlog of more than 447,000 aged cases. Newer cases filed after mid-2024 in a specific priority subset have been resolving in about 100 days on average.11Taxpayer Advocate Service. Identity Theft Awareness and Update on IRS Processing of Identity Theft Victim Assistance Cases
Don’t file duplicate Forms 14039 and don’t repeatedly call to check on your case. The IRS explicitly warns that duplicate submissions cause delays.10Internal Revenue Service. IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance: How It Works You can check status through your IRS Online Account, or by calling 800-908-4490, keeping in mind that the agents there can discuss your case but cannot give refund status.3Internal Revenue Service. Identity Theft Guide for Individuals
If a balance due notice arrives that stems from the fraudulent return rather than your own tax liability, call the number on that notice. Removing the fraudulent return is part of the IDTVA team’s work, and that should clear any related balance.10Internal Revenue Service. IRS Identity Theft Victim Assistance: How It Works
The Identity Protection PIN You’ll Get Afterward
Once your case is resolved, the IRS automatically enrolls you in the Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) program. You’ll receive a CP01A Notice each year with a new six-digit code.12Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN Enter that code on your 1040-series return every year, whether you e-file or paper-file. It applies to Forms 1040, 1040-NR, 1040-PR, 1040-SR, and 1040-SS. A return filed without the correct IP PIN will be rejected or delayed.13Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)
The IP PIN does not go on extension forms, state returns, or business filings. A new PIN is generated every year, so last year’s number will not work. If dependents on your return have their own IP PINs, enter those on your e-filed return as well.13Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions About the Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) Anyone with an SSN or ITIN can also opt in voluntarily through the IRS online tool, even without being a victim.12Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN
If Someone Used Your SSN for a Job Instead
Employment-related identity theft is a different situation and follows a different path. The signs are unfamiliar wages appearing on your IRS records, usually flagged by a CP2000 notice (reporting income you didn’t earn) or a CP01E notice (alerting you that your SSN may have been used for employment).8Internal Revenue Service. Guide to Employment-Related Identity Theft
A CP01E notice is informational. The IRS says there is currently no impact on your account, and you do not need to file Form 14039. If you get a CP2000 listing wages you didn’t earn, do not add that income to your return or file an amended return to include it. Call the number on the notice to dispute the income.8Internal Revenue Service. Guide to Employment-Related Identity Theft It’s also worth contacting the Social Security Administration to review your earnings record, and locking your SSN through the E-Verify Self Lock tool at myE-Verify so it triggers a mismatch if someone tries to use it for employment verification.14E-Verify. Self Lock
Reporting Beyond the IRS
Tax identity theft often means your personal information is circulating more broadly, so a call to the IRS is only part of what you should do.
File an FTC Identity Theft Report
Go to IdentityTheft.gov or call 877-438-4338 to create an official Identity Theft Report and get a personalized recovery plan. If you create an account, the site tracks your progress and pre-fills dispute letters. If you don’t, print your report and recovery plan before leaving the page, because you won’t be able to get back to them later.15Federal Trade Commission. Steps
Set Up a Fraud Alert or Credit Freeze
An initial fraud alert lasts one year and tells creditors to verify your identity before opening new accounts. You only need to contact one bureau; that bureau must notify the other two. A credit freeze goes further and blocks new credit accounts entirely until you lift it. Both are free.16Federal Trade Commission. Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts The bureau numbers for placing alerts:
- Equifax: 800-525-6285
- Experian: 888-397-3742
- TransUnion: 800-680-7289
A fraud alert works well if you still want to apply for credit but want creditors to take extra precautions. A freeze is stronger and better if you want to shut down new account openings entirely, at the cost of having to lift it when you apply for something yourself. Many victims do both: a fraud alert for immediate coverage while they set up freezes at all three bureaus.