Tax Preparer Filed Without Your Approval: What to Do
Verify what was filed, preserve your evidence, and choose the right IRS process.
If you think your tax preparer filed without your approval, save your records and check what the IRS received. Compare the filed version with any draft you reviewed or authorized. Then decide whether you need to report the preparer, ask the IRS to correct your account, or both.
Protect the deadline on any notice. A preparer complaint does not replace a required IRS response, appeal, or court filing. If your deadline is close and you’re still gathering evidence, follow the notice instructions and get independent tax help promptly.
Check the filing
Find the tax year, the submitted version, and the acceptance or rejection result.
Check your approval
Compare the authorization and messages with the return that was submitted.
Choose your goal
Decide whether you’re reporting conduct, requesting an account change, or doing both.
1. Verify what the preparer submitted
Ask for the complete return as submitted, the e-file acknowledgment, and any authorization the preparer relied on, such as Form 8879 where applicable. If the firm cannot help, check your IRS Online Account for available records. A transcript can help you spot differences, but it won’t show what you authorized or every document in the preparer’s file.
Giving someone your W-2s or paying an invoice does not establish what you approved for filing. A signed Form 8879 may show that you authorized e-filing, but if the return changed afterward, compare the versions. Look at the filing status, dependents, income, credits, and refund instructions. Verify federal and state filings separately.
Example: You approved a draft with no dependent credit, then discovered that the filed version claimed one. Keep the draft, the authorization, and the record showing the difference. Tell the IRS which entry changed and when you discovered it. If you simply found a mistake on the same return you approved, review the ordinary correction options instead.
2. Choose the process that fits your goal
- Report the preparer: Use the IRS preparer misconduct tool to see whether to submit Form 14157, Return Preparer Complaint. A report does not by itself change your tax account.
- Request an account change: Form 14157-A is the IRS affidavit for eligible individual Form 1040-series filers seeking a change after certain unauthorized filings or alterations. It is not for business tax accounts. Follow the current form and IRS instructions for your facts.
- Someone you don’t recognize filed: If you don’t know who filed or suspect your information was stolen, check the IRS identity theft guide. A duplicate-return rejection alone does not identify who filed.
Before filing another original return or an ordinary amendment, check which process the IRS directs you to use. If the unauthorized filing affects your state return, contact that tax agency separately.
3. Build the evidence before mailing an affidavit
- Save the return the preparer gave you, the version you reviewed, and any evidence of what was filed.
- Keep the signed authorization if one exists, plus dated messages showing what you approved or asked the preparer to hold.
- Gather evidence that identifies the preparer and shows your contact about that tax year, such as a receipt, business listing, or email exchange.
- Follow the affidavit instructions for a signed return as it should have been filed, if you were required to file, and include any relevant IRS notice as directed.
If your claim includes a missing or partially received refund, check the affidavit’s additional requirements, including the official law enforcement report. If you never received a preparer copy, ask the IRS how to document that gap before sending an incomplete packet.
Use the address the IRS instructions specify for your situation. The instructions distinguish between responding to an IRS notice and submitting the affidavit without one. Keep a complete copy of what you send and proof of mailing.
Ask the firm for the submitted return and authorization
Subject: Request for filing records for [tax year]
Please send me a complete copy of the return as submitted, the filing acknowledgment, and any signed or electronic authorization you relied on. Please identify the submission date and explain any differences from the version I received. Let me know how I can obtain these records securely.
Frequently asked questions
Can I report the preparer without filing Form 14157-A?
Yes. Reporting conduct and asking the IRS to change your individual tax account are separate processes.
Does an accepted e-file prove I approved it?
No. The acknowledgment shows the filing result. Compare it with the authorization and the return you reviewed.
What if the IRS sent a refund to an account I don’t recognize?
Check whether you authorized a refund transfer or advance. Save the agreement and payment records if available. If the routing still looks unauthorized, use the IRS misconduct tool and review the affidavit’s refund evidence requirements.
Official sources
- IRS: Tax return preparer misconduct — reporting and account correction routes.
- IRS: Form 14157-A and instructions — required evidence and submission details.
- IRS: Form 8879 — e-file signature authorization.
- IRS: Understanding your notice or letter — response instructions and deadlines.
Document what you approved and what was filed
Save both versions if you can. Write down the differences, protect your deadlines, and use the IRS process that fits what you need resolved.
