Letters 5071C, 5747C, 6331C, or 4883C mean the IRS flagged a return filed in your name and needs you to verify your identity before it will process the return or release your refund. It’s an anti-fraud step — but you must respond, or the return stalls.
Deadline: there’s usually no hard cutoff, but your refund stays frozen until you verify, so do it right away. If you didn’t file the return referenced, that signals possible identity theft — say so when you verify.
How to verify (use only official channels)
- Online (fastest): go to idverify.irs.gov (the IRS Identity Verification Service) and follow the steps with your letter, the tax return in question, and a prior-year return handy.
- By phone: call the number printed on your letter (have the documents ready).
- 5747C / 6331C sometimes require verifying in person at a Taxpayer Assistance Center by appointment.
Safety: the IRS does not ask you to verify identity by email, text, or social media. Only use idverify.irs.gov or the number on the official letter — never a link from an email or text.
If you did NOT file that return (identity theft)
[Your name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Daytime phone]
[Date]
Internal Revenue Service
[Use the address on your 5071C/5747C letter]
Re: Identity-verification letter - I did NOT file this return
Name: [Your name] SSN/ITIN: [xxx-xx-1234]
Letter number: [5071C / 5747C / 6331C] Letter date: [date]
Tax year referenced: [year]
To whom it may concern:
I received the identity-verification letter above regarding a [year] return. I did
NOT file that return and believe I am a victim of identity theft.
Please do not process that return. I am reporting this and requesting identity-
theft protection on my account. I am also filing Form 14039 (Identity Theft
Affidavit) and reporting at IdentityTheft.gov. Please confirm the fraudulent
return will not be processed and advise on next steps (such as an IP PIN).
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed name]
How to handle it
If the return is yours, verify online or by phone immediately to release your refund — you usually don’t need to mail anything. If it isn’t yours, verify/decline as instructed, file Form 14039, report at IdentityTheft.gov, and ask about an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) to lock your future filings.
Notes. Scammers imitate these letters — confirm you actually received an IRS letter (with a notice number) and only use idverify.irs.gov or the number on it. Verifying promptly is the whole job; there’s no penalty for verifying, only delay for not. General information, not tax advice.