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Got IRS Letter 5071C? How to Verify Your Identity Safely
Letter 5071C means a return was filed under your Social Security number or ITIN and the IRS is holding it until you confirm your identity and whether you filed it. Verify only through the site or phone number printed on the letter.
Reviewed by LaToya Clark-Thompson, FounderLast updated
What this letter is
Letter 5071C is part of the IRS’s CP5071 series of identity verification notices. The IRS sends it when a federal income tax return (Form 1040 series) was filed under your SSN or ITIN and it needs you to verify your identity and the return before processing continues.
If you filed the return, verifying lets the IRS keep processing it, and no refund is issued until you do. If you did not file it, the IRS says you may be the victim of identity theft, and verifying is how you tell it so.
How to verify, and how not to
Follow the instructions on the letter itself. If the letter offers online verification, start at irs.gov/verifyreturn, typed into your browser yourself. For phone verification, call the number printed on the letter.
- Do not use a link, QR code or phone number from an email, text message or social media post. The IRS does not start contact that way
- The verification line is for identity and return verification only. It may not give refund status
- If you are new to IRS online services you will need to create an account, with a valid government-issued photo ID
- If the letter looks wrong, compare it with your IRS online account or check it using is this IRS letter real?
What to have ready
- The Letter 5071C
- The tax return for the year listed on the letter (a W-2 or 1099 is not a tax return)
- A prior-year return, if you filed one
- Supporting documents for each return, such as Forms W-2 and 1099 and Schedules C or F
If you used a preparer, ask them for a complete copy of the return as filed. Answers have to match the return exactly, so a draft or a different version can cause verification to fail.
If you did not file the return
Say so during verification, which is how the IRS learns the return is not yours. If you verify, you generally do not need to file Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, unless the IRS tells you to.
The IRS also recommends getting an Identity Protection PIN, which any taxpayer who can verify their identity can request. It stops anyone else from filing a return with your number. You still need to file your own real return if you have one to file.
How we help
We cannot verify your identity for you, and nobody should ask for your IRS online account login. What we do is give you a complete copy of the return as filed if we prepared it, help you check which figures the verification is likely to ask about, and prepare your real return through our tax preparation service if someone else filed under your number first. If the return needs correcting afterward, we prepare the amended return.
If the matter turns into something that needs professional representation, it is handled by the independent licensed CPA we work with, with our office coordinating. See tax resolution.
What to send us
- A photo or scan of every page of Letter 5071C, through the client portal (never by email or text)
- The return the letter refers to, and the prior year’s return
- Your W-2s, 1099s and any Schedules C or F for those years
Frequently asked questions
Is Letter 5071C a scam?
A real Letter 5071C arrives by mail and tells you to verify at irs.gov/verifyreturn or by the phone number printed on it. Scams usually arrive by email or text, push a link, or demand payment. Type the IRS address into your browser yourself, never use a link from a message, and check your IRS online account. Is this IRS letter real? has the full checklist.
What do I need to verify my identity for Letter 5071C?
The letter itself, the tax return for the year listed on it, a prior-year return if you filed one, and the supporting documents for those returns such as W-2s, 1099s and Schedules C or F. New users of IRS online services also need a valid government-issued photo ID. Answers must match the return as filed, so have the final version, not a draft.
What if I did not file the return on Letter 5071C?
Tell the IRS during verification that you did not file it. You may be a victim of identity theft, and telling the IRS is what stops that return from being processed as yours. If you verify, you generally do not need Form 14039 unless the IRS asks for it. Request an Identity Protection PIN afterward so it does not happen again.
Can my tax preparer verify my identity for me?
Generally no, because identity verification is about you personally. A preparer can give you a full copy of the filed return and help you understand the figures you may be asked about. An authorized representative with a Form 2848 on file can call for some identity letters, but the safest path is to verify yourself through the letter’s own instructions.
Not the question you had? The full tax FAQ covers more ground, and our client reviews say what the work is actually like.
Related pages
Letter 4883C
The IRS is holding a return until you verify it by phone. Call only the number on the letter.
Learn moreIs this IRS letter real?
How the IRS really contacts you, what it never does, and how to check a letter safely.
Learn moreCP05 notice
The IRS is verifying parts of your return before releasing a refund. Usually a wait, not a problem.
Learn moreHow to respond to an IRS letter
Check it, decide whether you agree, gather support, reply by the date, and keep proof.
Learn morePart of IRS & SC Letter Help. Not sure which service fits? Answer a few questions.
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