ITIN or SSN Stolen? Your Tax Identity Protection Guide

What Are the Risks?

• Stolen refund: someone files a return with your number, and your refund disappears.
• Information security: when your tax number and financial information leak together, it's time to raise your guard.

How Do You Know Your Tax Number Was Stolen?

• Confirm with your state tax agency whether your tax number has been compromised.
• Your e-filing is rejected, or the IRS tells you your number has already been used and can't be e-filed again.

What to Do About It

1. Determine what leaked. Was it your tax number, or other information? For example, a stolen credit card number doesn't affect your tax account.
2. Take protective steps (following the Federal Trade Commission's recommended actions): notify the credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit file; freeze your credit to block unauthorised access; and close any accounts opened without your permission.
3. Get professional guidance. Visit the IRS website's taxpayer identity-theft guide to learn how to protect your tax identity.
4. File Form 14039. Was your return rejected because it duplicates one already filed? Submit Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) online, by fax or by mail, then continue filing your return.
5. Keep communicating. Watch for any further IRS correspondence and reply promptly.