Fed Tax E File Rejected - somebody already filed using my SS number - what to do?

[kgtest]

I am on hold with the IRS


800-908-4490
US IRS Identity Theft Phone Number: Customer Service

OOoh boy, I waited over four hours once.

 

[dixonge]

Thank you Glenn, three years would not be good as I have a big refund coming back to me.

How did you address the State Tax Return? My State Tax Return was also rejected because my Fed Tax was rejected?

No state income tax in Texas...

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[Fedup]

Fed Tax E File Recjected - somebody already filed using my SS number - what t...

I never trust the IRS. My husband's records were compromised and he was a government employee. I always owe tax so if the IRS sent my tax refund to somebody, the IRS has to make it up. My kid got her tax back. I breathed a sigh relief. I wasn't sure for a while.


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[Disappointed]

Talked to the IRS agent after 15 minutes, not too bad. Given same info as on their website. The agent did verify that somebody already filed a return under my SS number.
The agent also said that the case should take about 180 days to resolve.
Definitely a headache, will have to go to the police department to report this ID theft as well.
Still have to figure out what to do with my State Tax return.

 

[robnplunder]

Sorry to hear that.

I want to file early to avoid this issue but my brokerages kept sending me revised tax data even after Feb. One year, I had to refile b/c of this.

I decided to file yesterday and they went through. Thanks goodness.

 

[REWahoo]

I want to file early to avoid this issue but my brokerages kept sending me revised tax data even after Feb. One year, I had to refile b/c of this.

I've come to the conclusion the risk of what happened to Disappointed is of far greater concern than the minor inconvenience of having to file an amended return.

My new motto: "File early and file often"

 

[Big_Hitter]

well if the perp got a refund - we can safely assume he/she did, then the OP's refund, if any, may be tied up for a few years because of this

 

[MichaelB]

well if the perp got a refund - we can safely assume he/she did, then the OP's refund, if any, may be tied up for a few years because of this

Not my understanding. Once the victim confirms with the IRS that fraud has taken place, the process to get the lawful return filed and excess tax refunded will take months but should happen this year.

 

[robnplunder]

I've come to the conclusion the risk of what happened to Disappointed is of far greater concern than the minor inconvenience of having to file an amended return.

My new motto: "File early and file often"

Agreed. I will be filing the next year's returns as soon as all the data are received.

 

[Fermion]

So why not file a $1 return on Jan 1 with just your W2 info and then file an amended return sometime in March/April when you have your forms. This way your SS# will already have record of being filed.

Doesn't most tax software give you like 5 free filings?

 

[Fedup]

One free exile I believe. But I always file paper return. I owe them money, I'm not in a hurry is my motto.


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[niven]

If everyone started filing early, how likely is it that [-]a**holes[/-] bad guys would switch to sending in amended returns? Or do amended returns go through enough checks to prevent fraud?

 

[dixonge]

So why not file a $1 return on Jan 1 with just your W2 info and then file an amended return sometime in March/April when you have your forms. This way your SS# will already have record of being filed.

Doesn't most tax software give you like 5 free filings?

This is a great idea! I don't know why we worry so much about amending returns in this digital age.

When this happened to me, I was hit by a bit of a double-whammy. Not only did someone file a fraudulent return in my name, but my own return wasn't filed until much later. I was due a refund, and I had been busy (a.k.a., procrastinating) so I filed both my 2010 and 2011 returns in the spring of 2012. The 2011 return and refund went through just fine. I received my 2010 refund in 2015.

My big takeaway was "File early" (but not often ) I may break my cardinal rule and actually sign up early when TaxAct starts emailing me early purchase discounts...

 

[Disappointed]

Just got back from the police department, they don't have anyone at the desk anymore. Need to come home and call to have an officer come to my house to take a report, learned something new today.

 

[harley]

I never trust the IRS. My husband's records were compromised and he was a government employee. I always owe tax so if the IRS sent my tax refund to somebody, the IRS has to make it up. My kid got her tax back. I breathed a sigh relief. I wasn't sure for a while.

Is this the case? If you owe, just file and even if someone has defrauded the IRS and gotten a refund, you don't have to worry about it? Or do you still have to go through the hassle of proving you are you? If I've paid them, and I always end up owing them, would I care if their records are wrong? How would that work?

 

[Tallman4123]

My DW and I had a fraudulent return filed in our name last year. When I spoke to the IRS fraud unit, they told me that the refund on the fraudulent return was for more than $20k and they had wired money to two separate bank accounts! Ironically, I think it's been 15+ years since we've gotten a refund...we always owe! Appears to me that the processing of returns is done in a vacuum.

Previous posters have accurately detailed the process that I had to go through. It took many hours on the phone; mostly on hold, but I will say that the IRS folks in the fraud unit were understanding and - dare I say - sympathetic regarding the situation.

I was emailing this past June with a CPA friend of mine about the situation and he wrote:

1. This is more common than you think. And the problem is much worse than people know. The IRS admits that identity theft rose 125% between 2012 and 2013. They are losing the battle. The IRS themselves told us at a seminar last week that violent crime in Miami is down because filing fake tax returns is so lucrative.

2. Of all the stories I am aware of, the damage is limited to the tax return and they don't get charge cards in your name or anything like that. However, you should get a credit report every so often just to be safe.

 

[Fedup]

Is this the case? If you owe, just file and even if someone has defrauded the IRS and gotten a refund, you don't have to worry about it? Or do you still have to go through the hassle of proving you are you? If I've paid them, and I always end up owing them, would I care if their records are wrong? How would that work?

I don't know but I thought the IRS solved this problem already because I believe the same problem happened last year.


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[foxfirev5]

If a refund is due. Would it work to submit a paper claim with the refund applied to next years taxes? Just trying to brainstorm.

 

[Mulligan]

Sorry to hear that.



I want to file early to avoid this issue but my brokerages kept sending me revised tax data even after Feb. One year, I had to refile b/c of this.



I decided to file yesterday and they went through. Thanks goodness.

It has never caused me any problems, but I dont wait for mine. I efile first day just to beat any would be fraudulent filings. My brokerage stuff isnt too complicated, but I wing it as close as possible. This year I may have cheated myself out of a few meager bucks, but I wanted to make sure the crooks didnt beat me.
Good luck, Disappointed, with the process.


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[Sue J]

I'm concerned about this. I usually file in early February and I was planning on filing in early Feb. this year but we never got our 1095-As from Healthcare.gov. I called about this the first time on Feb.1 and they "escalated" the issue. I've called back twice and the last time they told me to give it 30 days, so I'm due to call again.

I have all the amounts that should be on the forms when they show up but I wanted to have the official ones before filing.

I don't like waiting for a huge government agency to complete a task in order to file my taxes. We have a decent refund coming.

The issue behind the 1095-As being missing is that HC.gov shows that we enrolled in a plan and canceled the next day, which is absolutely incorrect. We had insurance, and a subsidy all year. I saved the paperwork.

 

[gauss]

Not my understanding. Once the victim confirms with the IRS that fraud has taken place, the process to get the lawful return filed and excess tax refunded will take months but should happen this year.

Agreed with MichaelB here. IRS has processes to handle this that they did not have years before.

You should be made whole. The difference will be made up by the taxpayers. You will not have to wait for a recovery from the perp.


-gauss

 

[gauss]

If everyone started filing early, how likely is it that [-]a**holes[/-] bad guys would switch to sending in amended returns? Or do amended returns go through enough checks to prevent fraud?

There is no e-fling of amended returns. They are all paper filed.

-gauss

 

[jazz4cash]

Last year IRS informed us that they would send our refund via paper check in the mail rather than direct deposit because the bank refused to accept the direct deposit. That was before we ever filed! We always file paper returns and we usually owe so we wait until April. Ironically, I always get some sort of error when e-filing so I gave up and continued to file a paper return. Many red flags that IRS did not detect.

Our state contacted us to advise that a suspicious return was filed on our behalf and it was rejected. We always use the state's online ifile system. Gotta say the state was much sharper than IRS in detecting the fraud.

We filed the ID Theft paperwork with the IRS, provided copies of Driver's Lic, etc. and filed our paper returns as usual (30 min). No police report. No more issues with the 2014 return. They issued the ID PIN numbers for us to use for 2015.

It's crazy if they require the taxpayer to file a police report when their lax systems and procedures are the root cause of this problem. They could send the local police a report listing all affected individuals.

 

[Rosie]

Oh geeze, you have my sympathies.

We had a large refund coming our way this year (thanks to the ACA), and I was concerned about the increase in fraudulent filings so I e-filed our taxes via TurboTax in mid-Feb, as soon as all our tax documents arrived. Hopefully I didn't overlook anything, but I figured I could always file an amended return if need be.

The filing went without a hitch and our refund was deposited to our bank acct last week. Whew!

 

[Sunset]

Just got back from the police department, they don't have anyone at the desk anymore. Need to come home and call to have an officer come to my house to take a report, learned something new today.

Are they as fast as Jimmy John's