IRS and Identity Theft

Every year around tax time, we experience a spike in the number of calls we receive from clients as they discover that they are unable to file taxes because an identity thief has beat them to it. Until recently, victims of identity theft who had not been contacted by the IRS directly were unable to take any protective steps to notify the IRS of possible fraud. That was then…

Now- much to our delight-  the IRS has a method of “flagging” your information for monitoring! A copy of a police report documenting the identity theft and a copy of of your valid Federal or State issued identification, such as a social security card, driver’s license, or passport, etc should be forwarded along with Form 14026 to the IRS at:

Mailing address:
Internal Revenue Service
P.O. Box 9039
Andover, MA 01810-0939

FAX: Note that this is not a toll-free fax number
1-978-247-9965

You may also contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit toll-free 1-800-908-4490 for guidance. Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. your local time (Alaska & Hawaii follow Pacific Time).

For more information, please visit the IRS website.

You can also find helpful information about scams, suspicious emails and phishing attempts- including how to report them on their website here and here. Remember that identity thieves and scam artists are keen to try to trick you with timely scams that play on the hopes and fears of the average taxpayer. Emails or phone calls about audits, refunds, or stimulus payments should be treated with the utmost skepticism even if there is an official logo visible.