This time of year, everyone is a bit cautious when they receive correspondence that claims to be from the IRS. You are completely justified in your concerns, as there often instances in which taxpayers are contacted by fraudulent individuals claiming to be from the IRS. Here are some tips to make sure you are well informed regarding correspondence from the IRS.
First, the IRS will only contact you by mail. Any phone calls, texts, or emails claiming to be from the IRS are fraudulent.
Second, the most common correspondence from the IRS this time of year is a form 5071C. The IRS 5071C letter is a letter sent to taxpayers by the IRS to verify a taxpayer’s identity after the IRS received a tax return with the taxpayer’s name and Social Security number. The letter is used to help identify potential identity theft. This letter has become more and more common in recent years due to increased efforts by the IRS to curb identity theft.
Do not ignore the 5071C letter from the IRS.
If you receives a 5071C letter, it will provide you with two options on how to respond, and both options allow you to securely verify your identity so the IRS can continue to process the tax return. The return, and therefore the resulting refund, will not be processed until you have completed this identity verification.
This letter will be clearly identified via an IRS envelope and on IRS letterhead.
If you ever receive correspondence and you are unclear as to if it came from the IRS please don’t hesitate to reach out to us to confirm its validity BEFORE taking action.