schirallicpa Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 is this legit? My client received a letter dated March 20 2015 regarding his 2014 tax return. We have not filed his tax return yet. The letter refers to a "soft inquiry" which i have never heard of. I have not seen one of these letters before and I am leery to input any info on a website that may or may not be legit. I have never heard of the IRS asking for you to visit a website to input info. I have only ever seen the IRS ask for info back by mail unless you are working with an agent directly. We have the client's return ready for efile, with his signatures, and now I am afraid to efile it. Anyone else seen this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Employees Self-Employed International Taxpayers Military Parents Seniors & Retirees Students Like - Click this link to Add this page to your bookmarks Share - Click this link to Share this page through email or social media Print - Click this link to Print this page Understanding Your 5071C Letter This letter tells you that the IRS received a tax return with your name and/or social security number and needs to verify your identity. You can verify your identity using our secure Identity Verification Service site at idverify.irs.gov. The contact information below is only for taxpayers who received Letter 5071C. Why are we contacting you? We received a federal income tax return with your name and/or social security number. We want to protect you from potential identity theft so we are asking you to verify your identity and tell us if you submitted the return. The letter you received provides two options for responding. Both options enable you to verify your identity with us so we can continue processing your tax return. This contact information is only for taxpayers who received Letter 5071C. The toll-free number and website are for identity verification only. No other tax-related information, including refund status, is available. What is involved in this process? We will continue processing your tax return once we verify your identity and confirm that you submitted the return. If you did file the return, please know it will take approximately six weeks to process it once you verify your identity. Follow the identity verification described under "What should you do?" below to provide us with the necessary information. What should you do? Use our secure Identity Verification Service website idverify.irs.gov. It's quick and secure. You should have available a copy of your prior year tax return and your current year tax return, if you filed one, including supporting documents. If you cannot use the Idverify website, you can call us using the toll-free Identity Verification telephone number provided in your letter. Again, you should have available a copy of your prior year tax return and your current year tax return, if you filed one, including supporting documents. If you did not file the return in question, you can use either option to notify us. How can I learn more about the IRS's identity protection efforts? The IRS is continually looking at ways to increase data security and protect taxpayers' identities. To learn more, view these topics on IRS.gov. Identity Protection: Prevention, Detection and Victim Assistance Publication 4535, Identity Theft Prevention and Victim Assistance Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 17-Mar-2015 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schirallicpa Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 and the really dumb part is is you cannot answer these questions for your client because you have no idea where he lived in 1985, and you cannot just say - i haven't filed yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 When I get those questions, they are mostly re my ex-husband (1987 divorce) and his second wife (early 1988), so I can NOT answer them for myself, either. For some UPS thing I was filling out, I ended up using my current husband's name, because I know HIS information. But that will never work for IRS. And, we had Anthem so are really worried about not being able to e-file. Time will tell. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion EA Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 I've seen e-newsletters from NAEA and NATP and probably more, so keep your eyes open for news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 (edited) Have your client follow the instructions on the letter precisely and immediately. Add form 14039 to his return. Fill it in and be sure he signs it as well as the 1040 when you paper file it. Make sure he sends the required identity documents requested. If you e-file it WILL be rejected. We are up to 17 clients having their SS# compromised this year. Edited March 26, 2015 by Jack from Ohio 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsTabbyKats Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 If the client didn't file and got this letter I'd be extremely concerned. I'd have him on the phone with IRS "yesterday". It appears that someone already filed under his info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NECPA in NEBRASKA Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 I heard from a client that is going on extension that has Anthem and they were advised to file an extension now, even if they plan to file on time, and to apply for an efile PIN. I don't know if it will stop anything, but it's worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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