IRS Letter 5071C: Identity verification notice

Letter 5071C. Identity verification notice.

The IRS says a Form 1040-series return was filed under your Social Security number or ITIN and that it sent this notice because it needs you to verify your identity and the return. The CP5071 series includes CP5071, 5071C, and CP5071F.

General information from the Law Office of Alexander Powell, PLLC. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for the notice itself.

On the paper

Follow the verification instructions printed on your notice. If it offers online verification, the IRS directs you to start at irs.gov/verifyreturn.

Find the date printed on your notice or letter. The paper notice and the current official IRS instructions control, even where this page differs.

General next steps

Have the notice, the tax return for the year listed, a prior-year return if available, and supporting documents ready before you begin.
If you did file, verify so the IRS can continue processing your return.
If you did not file, tell the IRS during verification; you may be a victim of identity theft.

Timing

The IRS asks you to verify promptly using the instructions on the notice. Your letter controls the instructions.

What this page cannot tell you

This explanation cannot complete the verification for you or confirm whether the return filed under your number was genuine.

Official sources

If anything on this page differs from your notice or from current IRS instructions, follow the notice and the IRS.

Questions after reading the letter?

You can ask the Law Office of Alexander Powell, PLLC to consider a consultation about any IRS or tax letter. Requesting a consultation does not make Mr. Powell your lawyer, provide legal advice, or protect a deadline. Representation begins only after a conflict check, after the firm agrees to the matter, and after both sides sign a written engagement agreement.

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