IRS letter help
Verifying your identity with the IRS
You have an IRS letter asking you to confirm a return filed under your Social Security number.
This letter asks you to verify your identity, not to pay money. Your refund can take up to 9 weeks after you verify.
Check the letter number on the IRS notice search first, then verify online or by the phone number printed in it.
Which numbers matter?
9 weeks
Your refund can take up to 9 weeks counted from the day you verify.
Plan your money around that wait instead of counting on a fast refund.
2 to 3 weeks
The IRS asks you to wait that long after you verify before you check your refund.
Check your refund status once those weeks have passed.
Why did I get this letter?
A return came in under your number and something about it looked off to the IRS. It is holding that return until you confirm it.
The letter number tells you which path to take. A 5071C or CP5071 lets you verify online at irs.gov/verifyreturn. A 4883C asks you to call the Taxpayer Protection Program number printed in it. If you did not file a return at all, verify anyway and say so. That tells the IRS someone else used your number.
How do I verify my identity?
- Online. For a 5071C, go to irs.gov/verifyreturn. You sign in with an ID.me account, then answer questions about the return. The IRS account page explains ID.me.
- By phone. For a 4883C, call the hotline number in the letter itself. A helper with a signed Form 2848 can call for you, or sit on the call with you.
- In person. If you cannot verify by phone, the IRS will ask you to book an appointment at a local IRS office and bring your papers.
Use only the number or web address printed on the letter or on irs.gov.
What do I need before I verify?
- The letter itself.
- The tax return named in the letter. A W-2 or 1099 is not a return.
- A return from another year, if you filed one.
- The papers behind each return: W-2s, 1099s, Schedule C or F.
Ambrose, 71, filed a short return with one pension 1099. Before he called, he put the letter, his 2025 return and last year's return on the table. The call took one sitting.
How do I tell a real letter from a fake?
Scammers copy identity letters because people expect to hand over details. The IRS scam warning page lists the signs of a fake contact. It comes out of the blue, rushes or threatens you, asks for personal or bank details, or demands payment now.
A real 5071C or 4883C never asks for money. The IRS notice search shows what a real letter with that number asks for. A matching number alone does not prove the letter is real. If you doubt it, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 before you share anything. Our scam letters page has the full checklist.
What happens after I verify?
Wait 2 to 3 weeks, then check your refund status. Processing can take up to 9 weeks after you verify, according to the IRS verification page.
Do not file Form 14039, the identity theft form, after a 4883C unless the IRS tells you to. To stop someone filing with your number next year, get an IP PIN.
What should you read next?
Questions people ask
What is the IRS identity verification phone number?
Use the number printed in your letter. The IRS line for questions about a suspicious letter is 800-829-1040.
Do I need ID.me to verify my identity with the IRS?
To verify online, yes. You sign in with an ID.me account. If you cannot, call the number on the letter.
How long does it take to get a refund after identity verification?
Up to 9 weeks after you verify. The IRS says to wait 2 to 3 weeks before checking.
Is letter 5071C a scam?
The real one is not, and it never asks for money. Check its number on the IRS notice search before you act.
What if I did not file a tax return?
Verify anyway and say you did not file. Someone may have used your Social Security number.
Sources
- Understanding your CP5071 series notice. Published by irs.gov.
- Understanding your letter 4883C. Published by irs.gov.
- Verify your return. Published by irs.gov.
- Creating an account for IRS.gov. Published by irs.gov.
- How to know it's the IRS. Published by irs.gov.
Last checked October 2026
What to do now
- Find the letter number, such as 5071C, CP5071 or 4883C, in the top right corner.
- Look up that number on the IRS notice search.
- Gather the letter, the return it names, a prior year return, and their W-2s and 1099s.
- Verify at irs.gov/verifyreturn or call the number printed in the letter.
Still not sure the letter is real? Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 and use that number, not one printed on the letter you doubt.