If you receive a letter from the IRS or are alerted during the e-file process that your return was already filed, you could be a victim of tax identity theft.
Tax identity theft occurs when someone steals your Social Security Number to file a tax return to claim your refund. Thanks to a joint initiative with the IRS and the Federal Trade Commission, consumers can now simply go to identitytheft.gov to file a report and receive a personal recovery plan.
Previously, consumers had to go through a difficult process of obtaining a police report, filling out and mailing in a form to the IRS, and taking other measures to combat the problem.
When consumers go to the new site, they will be able to file and print a copy of an identity theft affidavit, which can also be used for notifying creditors, credit reporting bureaus and others of identity theft without having to obtain a police report. The information that is submitted on this report can be automatically sent to the IRS to get the recovery process started.
The website will also guide you through the process of what you may need to do further to correct or avoid any future problems related to this theft.
