Recover from Tax Identity Theft and Secure an IRS IP PIN

  1. Verify a return was already filed under your SSN
    30 min

    The e-file rejection or the IRS letter is your first evidence — capture it before it scrolls away. Screenshot the rejection screen or keep the letter: a duplicate-SSN rejection states that a return was already accepted under your number, often with a code such as FED 9023. An IRS letter like CP87A says the same thing by mail; keep the letter and its envelope together.

    Now confirm it on your transcript. If you already have an IRS online account, sign in and open View tax records → Get transcript online for the current year. If you do not have an account yet, the next step builds one — come back here after. On the transcript, find the return entry whose filing date and adjusted gross income are not yours: that entry is the fraudulent return. Note the rejection code, the filing date, and the AGI — you will cite them to the IRS on the phone.