Important Information Regarding IRS LETTER 5071C

June 19, 2023

Did You Receive a Letter from the IRS to Verify Your Identity?

The IRS has been sending Letter 5071C to various taxpayers.  This letter states that the IRS has received a tax return for year 2022 using your name and social security number.  If you have filed your 2022 tax return, you will need to verify your identification with the IRS before your return will be processed.

The best way to verify your ID with the IRS is online using the website IRS.gov/verifyreturn.
You will need to create an account with the IRS through ID.me.  In order to set up an account, you will need to provide an email address and upload a government ID and selfie to ID.me.

If you cannot set up an account with the IRS, then you will need to call the IRS Taxpayer Protection Program hotline at 800-830-5084 between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

You will need the following information in order to verify your ID.

  • The 5071C letter
  • Your 2022 Form 1040 tax return
  • A prior year Form 1040 tax return
  • Supporting documents for each year’s tax return.  (W-2, Form 1099, Schedule C, etc.)

If you cannot verify your ID by using one of these two methods, you will need to contact our office.  We will have a Power of Attorney prepared and forward to you (and your spouse if you filed a joint tax return) for signature.  Once we have an executed Power of Attorney, we will contact the IRS on your behalf and verify your ID.

This blog provides summary information regarding the subject matter at the time of publishing. Please call our office at 610-296-2500 with any questions on how this information may impact your situation. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. All rights reserved.