Letter 4883C: IRS Needs to Verify My Identity, Why?
If you have received Letter 4883C, the IRS needs to verify your identity, and one of the following situations may have happened:
- You filed a tax return, but the IRS has stopped processing it because the agency is worried that someone may have stolen your identity.
- Someone stole your identity and filed a tax return with your details.
In either case, you must call the IRS and let them know what is happening. If you filed the return, the agency will verify your identity and complete the processing of the return. If you didn't file a return, the IRS will let you know what to do next and how to protect your identity from future attacks.
To get help with this issue now, use TaxCure to find a local tax pro who has experience with IRS notices and tax-related identity theft, or keep reading for more details.
What Is Letter 4883C?
Letter 4883C is a request to verify your identity. The IRS sends this letter when it receives a tax return that appears to have been filed fraudulently. You must call the agency and let them know if you filed it or if someone stole your identity and filed it.
Why Does the IRS Send This Notice?
The IRS uses this notice and similar notices like CP5071C to prevent sending out fraudulent tax refunds. Every year, the IRS receives thousands of fraudulent returns seeking billions in tax refunds. In 2023, the agency received about 377,000 fraudulent returns requesting about $2.79 billion in tax refunds.
The agency was able to stop the majority of these claims. It stopped processing approximately 370,000 fraudulent returns and $2.70 billion refunds. The majority of these fraudulent returns are filed with an actual taxpayer's tax ID number, and to ensure that the return wasn't filed legitimately, the IRS reaches out to the taxpayer.
Why Did I Receive Letter 4883C After Filing My Return?
If you were not the victim of identity theft, this notice may seem annoying and unnecessary. Why does the IRS think that your return was filed by someone else? The reasons vary but may include things such as changing the address on your tax return, showing significantly more or less income than usual, or having your information leaked on the dark web. In some cases, the IRS selects returns for ID verification randomly.
How to Call the IRS After Receiving Letter 4883C
To respond to this letter, you must call the IRS. Unfortunately, you cannot respond to this letter online or through the mail. You must call the IRS, and if you cannot verify your identity successfully over the phone, you will need to visit the IRS in person.
The notice will tell you which number to call, but generally, you will call the IRS's Taxpayer Protection Program hotline at 800-830-5084. Have the following on hand to verify your identity when you call:
- 4883C Letter
- Copy of your tax return if you filed one.
- Supporting documents (W2s, 1099s, etc) if you filed a return
- A prior year's return - for example, your 1040 tax return from the previous year.
- Supporting documents for the prior year's return.
To verify your identity, the IRS employee will ask you several questions about the last legitimate return you filed. They may ask about the amount of the refund, how it was disbursed to you (direct deposit, mail, etc), and if you had the payment direct deposited, they will want your bank routing and account number. They may also ask personally identifying questions such as the names and birthplaces of both of your parents and your spouse's parents if applicable.
Can I Have a Tax Pro Contact the IRS for Me?
Yes, you can authorize a tax pro to contact the IRS on your behalf. They can take your 4883C letter and call the IRS for you. To make that possible, you will need to sign a power of attorney Form 2848. Alternatively, if you have an online IRS account, your tax pro can send you a POA request through your online account, and you can just authorize it there.
You can also call the IRS with a tax pro. Then, you can give the IRS employee verbal permission to speak with them on the phone. This authorization only lasts for the phone call, unless you take the steps above.
What to Expect After You Verify Your Identity
Let's say you filed the return, and once you received Letter 4883C, you contacted the IRS to let them know. At that point, they will continue processing your return, and you will receive your refund as usual.
The process is not quick. Generally, the IRS takes at least nine weeks to process refunds in this situation, but it can take longer if they have a backlog or it's in the midst of tax season. You can check on the status of your refund at Where's My Refund or through the IRS's mobile app IRS2Go.
What If You Were the Victim of Identity Theft
If you call and report that you did not file the return, the IRS will conclude that you were the victim of identity theft. In this case, the agency will instruct you to mail in a paper tax return (if you are required to file).
You will also get enrolled in the taxpayer PIN program. This program allows taxpayers who've been affected by identity theft to have a second level of protection when filing their annual tax returns. Every year, the IRS will send you a unique six-digit PIN, and you will put that number on your tax return. The IRS will not process any returns with your Social Security Number that don't have the PIN.
If you were affected by identity theft, there is also a chance that the thief may use your information to access your other financial accounts and/or open loans or accounts in your name.
To protect yourself, do the following:
- Change passwords on financial accounts.
- Check bank statements and credit cards for unauthorized activity.
- Contact the credit bureaus and request a freeze on your credit.
- Report the issue to the Federal Trade Commission by going to IdentityTheft.gov or calling 1-877-438-4338
What If You Don't Respond to Letter 4883C?
The consequences of not responding depend on the situation.
If you filed the return, you will not get your refund—the IRS will not resume processing until you respond to this letter.
If you were the victim of ID theft, your account may be flagged. You may face this same issue when you try to file next year. Additionally, if a thief has your information, you are vulnerable to future attacks.
Should I Complete Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit?
No, you should not complete Form 14039 if you have received Letter 4883C. This form is for situations where the IRS does not know that you were affected by identity theft. If the IRS reaches out to you first by sending a notice, you should not file this affidavit.
What If I Already Received My Refund?
Generally, the IRS sends Letter 4883C before sending your tax refund, but if you have already received a refund, make sure that it correctly aligns with the tax return that you filed. If you believe that the refund is due to someone filing a fraudulent return in your name, you must report the erroneous refund to the IRS and return the payment to the government.
Get Help With IRS Notices and Tax-Related ID Theft
If you were the victim of identity theft or if you need help responding to any other IRS notices, you need an experienced tax professional. TaxCure is a directory of reputable tax pros from around the country who specifically focus on helping taxpayers resolve tax problems.
Tax problem resolution is a specific area of the tax industry, and for best results, you should work directly with a tax pro. Whenever possible, you may want to avoid the big tax relief firms that keep their tax pros hidden behind big sales teams. On TaxCure, you can also narrow down your searches to see tax pros with the exact experience you need. To find a pro to help with tax-related identity theft, simply start a search on TaxCure and select “Tax-Related Identity Theft” as your tax problem when you are asked for your main tax problem. This will help filter by pros that have experience dealing with these types of issues.
Whether you've been affected by tax-related identity theft or need help with another tax concern, use TaxCure to find and assess tax pros today.