How to Get Ready Before Starting IRS Identity Verification
Gather the right letter, tax records, and identification before you begin the required process.
To get ready before starting IRS identity verification, begin with the exact letter or notice you received. Confirm the tax year, whether the return is yours, and which verification method the IRS instructs you to use.
Then gather the records for that method. A little preparation can prevent an avoidable interruption, but it cannot guarantee verification or a refund date.
Prepare for both identity and return verification. Creating an online account or completing a sign-in identity check may not finish the IRS’s separate questions about your tax return.
Read the request
Identify the letter, affected person, tax year, and permitted response method.
Gather the records
Keep the complete filed return and requested supporting documents accessible.
Finish the process
Record the actual result and any remaining steps, not just successful account access.
1. Start with the exact IRS letter
Locate the letter or notice number, date, tax year, and named taxpayer. Read all pages and preserve the envelope if it helps document late delivery.
Verify unexpected correspondence through IRS.gov. Do not send identity documents through a link supplied only in an unsolicited text or email.
A verification request can concern a legitimate return. It does not, by itself, establish identity theft.
Do not start a verification service simply because a refund is delayed or a social media post recommends it. Use the service when the IRS’s instructions make it appropriate.
If your letter is missing, use official IRS guidance to obtain help. Do not assume every verification letter is downloadable from your online account.
2. Decide whether the return mentioned is yours
Check the tax year and your filing history. Ask your preparer for the actual filed version and acceptance record if necessary.
If you filed or authorized the return, prepare to verify it accurately. If you did not, use the letter’s instructions to tell the IRS.
If you filed a legitimate return but suspect a different return was also submitted, explain that distinction. Do not confirm an unfamiliar filing merely to try to release a refund.
You are not expected to invent the figures on a fraudulent return you do not have. State what you know and what you cannot confirm.
A preparer authorization dispute or an unauthorized joint filing can require additional advice. Preserve the records rather than guessing at the legal result.
3. Gather the complete filed tax return
Find the Form 1040-series return for the year shown on the letter. Include the relevant schedules and, if applicable, records of amendments or IRS changes.
Use the filed version rather than a draft, a planning estimate, or a software dashboard that only displays the refund total.
Also gather the prior-year return when the instructions request it and you filed one. Keep the years clearly separated.
A Form W-2 or Form 1099 reports income or payments; it is not the complete tax return. Bring those supporting documents in addition to the return when requested.
If you cannot find the return, check your tax software or request it from your preparer. Account records may help reconstruct the history, but do not assume a short account summary replaces every document requested.
4. Make a document list for your response method
| Record | How to prepare it |
|---|---|
| IRS letter or notice | Keep the entire document available, including reference or control information. |
| Affected-year return | Use the complete filed copy with relevant schedules. |
| Prior-year return | Gather it when requested and available; label the year. |
| Supporting tax records | Organize requested W-2s, 1099s, and business or other schedules. |
| Identification | Follow the requirements for the online process or appointment. |
| Assistance or authority | Review rules if a representative, fiduciary, or helper will participate. |
| Completion log | Prepare a place to record the result, date, and next instructions. |
Having documents ready does not mean you should upload or mail all of them. Submit only what the applicable instructions require.
5. Prepare for an authorized online verification
Use the official IRS verification page when your notice authorizes that route. The IRS’s online service identifies the notices eligible to use it.
Use a trusted device and private setting. Have access to the email, phone, and identification required by the current sign-in process; requirements depend on how your account is established.
If you already have an account, check that you can access it. Do not create unnecessary duplicate accounts when account recovery is the appropriate step.
After access is established, complete the IRS return questions. The IRS notes that a newly created account may require signing in again to finish return verification.
Keep the final message or next instructions securely. Do not save passwords or recovery codes in a shared tax log.
If online verification is unavailable or unsuccessful, follow your letter’s alternative instructions. Do not substitute Form 14039 solely because you had a technical problem.
6. Prepare for telephone verification
For a letter such as 4883C, use the verification number shown in the verified letter. This contact is for identity and return verification, not a general refund-status discussion.
Keep the letter, relevant tax return, available prior-year return, and requested supporting records beside you before calling.
Choose a private location and allow time to review the documents. Answer from the records rather than memory.
If you cannot locate a requested item or do not understand a question, explain the problem. Do not repeatedly guess.
If someone is helping you, review the participation rules. Under the 4883C guidance, a helper without a Form 2848 must call with you and you must participate; an authorized representative should still prepare for your involvement in identity checks.
If telephone verification cannot be completed, ask for the next instructed step and record it accurately.
7. Prepare for an in-person appointment
If your letter requires a Taxpayer Assistance Center appointment, arrange it using the instructions provided. Confirm the location, date, time, and document requirements before traveling.
For 5747C appointments, the IRS lists a valid federal or state government-issued photo ID plus at least one additional accepted identification document.
Examples on the IRS list include a Social Security card, qualifying second government ID, birth certificate, or specified address records. Review the full current list and any document-specific conditions.
Bring the verification letter, relevant return, requested supporting records, and prior-year return if required and available.
The taxpayer must be present to authenticate identity under the 5747C instructions, even when an authorized representative assists.
If your ID is expired, your address has changed, or required documents are missing, ask about acceptable alternatives before the appointment. Do not assume any two documents will qualify.
8. Plan for missing records or special circumstances
If you did not file the return, follow the letter’s instructions for reporting that fact. You may not need the same appointment route as someone verifying a legitimate return.
If you never filed a prior-year return, state that accurately. Do not create one to satisfy a request for an available prior-year record.
Taxpayers under 18 should follow the IRS’s specific assistance instructions rather than assuming the adult online route applies.
If you need accessibility or language assistance, raise that need through the official contact before starting or traveling.
For someone acting as a fiduciary or handling a deceased taxpayer’s affairs, review the applicable authority requirements. Possessing another person’s documents does not automatically authorize access.
Ready to sign in is not always ready to verify
A taxpayer receives an online-eligible verification notice and successfully creates an account. They stop after completing the sign-in identity check.
Before treating the task as complete, they should check whether the IRS’s tax-return questions still need to be answered.
The useful record is the actual return-verification result or next instruction—not simply confirmation that an account was created.
9. Know what completion does and does not mean
Successful verification of a legitimate return generally allows processing to continue. It does not guarantee approval of every deduction or credit.
Record the completion date, method, result, and instructions. If more action is required, keep it open on your checklist.
Use the current processing guidance for your letter or service. Do not turn a published estimate into a promised deposit date.
A fraudulent-return recovery case may follow a different timeline from verification of a legitimate return.
Do not send a duplicate return, amendment, or affidavit merely to speed the process. Follow any later verified IRS request and keep separate filing, payment, and response deadlines in view.
Your before-you-start checklist
- Verify the letter and identify the tax year.
- Confirm whether the return is yours.
- Read the required response method.
- Locate the complete affected-year filed return.
- Gather the requested prior-year and supporting records.
- Review identification requirements for the selected method.
- Check account access if using an authorized online route.
- Confirm participation rules for a helper or representative.
- Address missing documents and accommodation needs.
- Prepare to complete both identity and return verification.
- Save the actual result and next instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I verify without an IRS request?
Do not start the return-verification service merely because a refund is delayed. Follow the service’s eligibility rules and IRS instructions.
Is my W-2 enough?
Not when the IRS asks for the complete tax return. Gather the relevant Form 1040-series return and requested supporting documents.
Does an ID.me account complete the process?
Not necessarily. The IRS return-verification questions may remain after account authentication.
What if I did not file the return?
Tell the IRS through the method specified in your letter. Do not approve the filing or invent its details.
Can my preparer do everything for me?
A representative may assist, but identity checks can require your participation or presence. Review the letter’s rules.
Should I send Form 14039 with my verification documents?
Not automatically. Follow the verification process and submit an affidavit only when instructed or otherwise appropriate under IRS guidance.
Will verification release my refund immediately?
No. Processing and other reviews may remain.
What if I cannot complete the method listed?
Use the verified alternative instructions or contact in your letter and record the next step.
Gather first, verify carefully, record the result
Keep the letter, correct return, and requested records together. Follow the specified method through completion and preserve any next instructions.