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If someone may have used your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) on a tax return, start with the instructions on any IRS notice you received. Do not automatically send Form 14039. The IRS says most individuals do not need that affidavit, and filing it when your case is already in the IRS verification process can create a duplicate.
Your correct route depends on what happened: an IRS notice, an electronic-file rejection, suspected misuse that is not yet on the IRS record, or general identity theft without known tax activity. This guide explains each route for individual taxpayers, including when and how to use the current February 2026 Form 14039.
Choose the IRS route that matches your situation
Use this decision table before submitting anything. The first applicable row controls what you should do next.
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| Situation | Action | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| You received an IRS notice or letter | Follow the notice and call the number printed on it. If it directs you to the Identity and Tax Return Verification Service, use that service. | Do not add Form 14039 unless the IRS tells you to. |
| Your e-filed return was rejected because a return already appears under your SSN or ITIN | File your own return and report the rejection to the IRS. Keep the rejection, correspondence and contact records. | The rejection itself is a reportable identity-theft signal; it does not automatically mean you should mail a second affidavit. |
| You suspect tax-related identity theft but have no IRS-directed verification path | Check the IRS eligibility rules and submit Form 14039 only if they fit your case. | Avoid duplicate filings and cases already on file. |
| Your information was exposed or stolen but you have no known tax misuse | Report the broader identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov as appropriate, consider an IRS IP PIN, and watch for tax-related signs. | A general identity-theft report is not automatically a Form 14039 case. |
The IRS’s individual guidance is at Identity theft guide for individuals. For the IRS’s question-and-answer page on suspected returns filed under your number, see Reporting identity theft.
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The distinction matters because these routes are not interchangeable. A verification request is tied to a particular return or account and normally has its own deadline. Form 14039 is an affidavit for specified situations, not a general request for a taxpayer-protection review. IdentityTheft.gov is a broader recovery channel, while an IP PIN protects future federal filings. Starting with the wrong route can delay matching your documents to the affected account.
If an IRS notice or letter arrived
Use the notice’s instructions first
Read the entire notice and respond through the telephone number, website or verification process it identifies. The IRS says that a notice may direct you to the Identity and Tax Return Verification Service. If so, complete that service instead of independently filing Form 14039, unless the notice or an IRS representative instructs you to file the form.
Use the notice’s response deadline as your working deadline. Gather the return information requested, answer only through the channel identified by the IRS, and keep the confirmation page or reference number. If you cannot complete the verification process, contact the IRS using the notice number and explain the access problem; do not create a parallel affidavit case without guidance.
Verify suspicious contact independently
If a message or letter seems suspicious, do not rely on a phone number or link supplied in an unsolicited contact. Confirm the issue through official IRS contact channels and the IRS notice information. The IRS FAQ explains the notice-handling process at Reporting identity theft.
Keep a complete notice file
- Save the original notice, including every page and any response deadline.
- Record the date and time of calls, the number used and the representative’s instructions.
- Keep copies of verification confirmations and anything you send.
- Note the tax year, return type and account information identified in the notice.
Do not send a second affidavit merely because you are worried that the first response was not enough. Ask the IRS representative handling the notice what, if anything, is still required.
If your electronic return was rejected
An e-file rejection stating that a return has already been filed under your SSN or ITIN is a common sign of tax-related identity theft. The IRS scam guidance says to file the tax return that is actually yours and report the rejection to the IRS. Keep the electronic rejection message, a copy of the return you attempted to file, all IRS correspondence and your contact log. Follow any subsequent IRS notice rather than starting a separate Form 14039 submission on your own.
Save the exact rejection text and the transmission date. If you paper-file your genuine return after an e-file rejection, retain proof of mailing with your tax records. Do not alter your legitimate return to make it pass electronically, and do not omit income or dependents simply because a fraudulent return may have used them.
Instructions for this situation appear in the IRS resource If you were scammed. If the IRS later directs you to a verification service, use that service and provide the information it requests.
When Form 14039 is the right filing
Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, is a targeted IRS process, not a universal first step. The IRS individual guide and the current form instructions say most people do not need it.
File when one of these conditions applies
- The IRS specifically tells you to submit Form 14039.
- You cannot use the Identity and Tax Return Verification Service when that service would otherwise be the route.
- You need to report suspected tax-related identity theft that is not already on the IRS record, such as misuse discovered after a data breach.
Do not file it in these circumstances unless the IRS instructs you to
- You already sent an affidavit for the same incident.
- You received an IRS notice and are following its response or verification instructions.
- You are currently using the Identity and Tax Return Verification Service.
- The identity theft is not tax-related.
The February 2026 form itself warns taxpayers not to send a second Form 14039 for the same incident. Duplicate submissions can make it harder for the IRS to match your evidence to the correct account. Review the IRS’s current individual guide before deciding.
A data breach alone does not prove that a fraudulent federal return was filed. If you only know that personal information was exposed, use the broader identity-theft reporting and prevention steps described below, monitor for IRS notices, and wait for the IRS’s instructions if tax misuse appears.
How to complete and submit Form 14039
The current form is marked “Rev. February 2026.” The IRS forms index lists that version as posted March 18, 2026; confirm that you are using the latest version at the IRS Form 14039 listing.
- Confirm eligibility. Make sure your case is not already being handled through an IRS notice or the Identity and Tax Return Verification Service, and that the suspected misuse is tax-related.
- Open the current form and instructions. Use the IRS PDF at Form 14039: Identity Theft Affidavit, or use the current online completion option provided through IRS.gov.
- Complete every required field. Enter your identifying information accurately, using the SSN or ITIN involved. In the explanation, describe what happened, how it affects your tax account, when you discovered it, relevant dates and the tax years involved.
- Attach relevant evidence. Include copies of notices, rejection messages or other records that establish the suspected tax misuse when the instructions call for them. Do not send irreplaceable originals.
- Submit through an official IRS channel. You may complete the form online, or print and send it to the mailing address or fax number in the current form instructions. Use the address or fax destination printed in those instructions, not an address copied from an old article.
- Make a submission record. Save the completed form, every attachment, the date submitted and proof of delivery or transmission.
What your explanation should answer
- What event suggests that someone used your SSN or ITIN?
- Which tax account, return or tax year appears affected?
- When did you first learn of the problem?
- What contact have you already had with the IRS?
- What documents are attached and how do they support your report?
Keep the description factual and chronological. If a notice or representative gave you a case number or specific wording to use, preserve and follow those instructions. Use the same name and identifying number consistently throughout the form and attachments, and check that every listed tax year is correct before submitting.
What to do after submitting the affidavit
Retain your copy and proof of submission until the IRS confirms that the matter is resolved. Continue opening IRS correspondence promptly because the agency may request verification or additional documents. If you receive a notice after filing, use the number and instructions on that notice; do not send another Form 14039 for the same incident unless the IRS directs you to do so.
There is no universal processing-time promise in the IRS materials for this process. Avoid paying a third party that promises to accelerate an IRS identity-theft case, and do not treat a commercial monitoring service as a substitute for the required IRS response. A monitoring subscription, tax software package or security device is not required to submit the affidavit.
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The IRS FAQ lists 800-908-4490 for identity-theft questions and tax-account problems caused by identity theft. If you have a specific IRS notice, start with the number printed on that notice because it routes your response to the unit handling that notice. For general background and contact guidance, use the IRS identity-theft FAQ.
Before calling, assemble your notice or rejection, the affected tax year, the last four digits of the relevant SSN or ITIN when appropriate, copies of any filing and your contact log. Never place a full SSN or other sensitive data in an unsecured email or send it to a number that you have not verified through IRS.gov. Write down the representative’s name or identifying information, the date and time, and any follow-up commitment.
Get an IP PIN to protect future federal returns
An Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) is a six-digit IRS identifier used to help prevent another person from filing a federal return with your SSN or ITIN. It is a forward-looking protection; obtaining one does not report or resolve the existing incident.
The IRS describes an online application route. The current Form 14039 instructions also describe an appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center or Form 15227 submitted by mail or fax for eligible applicants. Use the current eligibility and application instructions in the form instructions before choosing a route. Protect the IP PIN itself and enter it only in the official federal filing process. An IP PIN is for federal returns; it does not automatically notify a state tax agency or repair an already-filed fraudulent return.
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Report related identity theft outside the IRS
IdentityTheft.gov and the Federal Trade Commission
The IRS directs people whose SSN or ITIN was stolen to report through IdentityTheft.gov as appropriate, in addition to contacting the IRS. The IRS says the Federal Trade Commission can electronically transfer the Form 14039 affidavit when you file through IdentityTheft.gov; the tax return itself is not transferred. You still must follow IRS filing and notice instructions separately.
Keep the IdentityTheft.gov report or confirmation with your IRS records. The FTC transfer does not eliminate the need to answer an IRS notice, submit a return, or use the IRS verification service when directed.
Your state tax agency
Consider notifying the state tax agency where you file. State agencies have their own identity-verification procedures, and an IRS report does not automatically create a state case. The IRS discusses these complementary steps in If you were scammed and its guidance on stolen SSNs or ITINs.
Employment-related misuse
If an employer or wage record contains income you did not earn, review the IRS’s separate employment-related identity theft guidance. That situation can involve wage reporting even when no fraudulent income-tax return is immediately visible, so follow the instructions specific to employment records.
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This article covers individual taxpayers. Businesses, trusts, estates and tax-exempt organizations are directed to use Form 14039-B and the IRS’s separate business identity-theft guidance, not the individual Form 14039 process. Starting with the wrong form can send your report to the wrong workflow; confirm the entity type in the IRS identity-theft guidance.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mailing Form 14039 automatically: A notice or verification-service instruction takes priority.
- Filing duplicates: The current form says not to submit a second affidavit for the same incident.
- Ignoring an e-file rejection: File your genuine return and report the rejection.
- Using an old address or form revision: Get the mailing or fax destination from the current IRS instructions.
- Confusing general identity theft with tax identity theft: Use IdentityTheft.gov and other recovery channels when there is no known tax misuse.
- Sending sensitive information to an unverified contact: Confirm IRS numbers and websites through IRS.gov.
- Expecting an IP PIN to fix the existing case: It helps protect later federal filings but does not replace reporting and resolving the current incident.
- Sending originals: Keep irreplaceable documents and send copies when evidence is requested.
- Using inconsistent details: Match your name, SSN or ITIN, tax years and dates across the form, attachments and correspondence.
Practical checklist
- Collect the IRS notice, e-file rejection or other evidence.
- Follow the notice’s number and verification instructions if a notice exists.
- If an e-filed return was rejected, file your own return and report the rejection.
- Check whether Form 14039 is actually required for your situation.
- Use the February 2026 form and its current online, mailing or fax instructions if eligible.
- Explain the affected account, dates and tax years; attach copies, not originals.
- Save the complete submission and proof of delivery.
- Call 800-908-4490 for identity-theft account help when the notice does not provide a more specific route.
- Apply for a six-digit IP PIN if eligible, and report broader identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov and your state tax agency as appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
Should I file Form 14039 as soon as I suspect someone used my SSN?
No. First check for an IRS notice or verification request. The IRS says most individuals do not need the form. File it only when the eligibility rules fit, you cannot use the verification service, or the IRS directs you to do so.
What if I already submitted Form 14039?
Do not send another one for the same incident. Keep your proof of submission and follow any later IRS notice. Ask the IRS whether additional documents are needed.
Does an e-file rejection prove identity theft?
It is a significant warning that a return may already appear under your SSN or ITIN, but follow the IRS process. File your genuine return, report the rejection and retain the transmission record.
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No. The IRS says the FTC may electronically transfer the Form 14039 affidavit filed through IdentityTheft.gov, but the tax return itself is not transferred. You remain responsible for filing and responding to the IRS.
Is an IP PIN required to report the incident?
No. An IP PIN is optional protection for future federal returns and is separate from reporting or resolving an existing case.
What number should I call?
For a specific notice, call the number printed on that notice. For general identity-theft account questions, the IRS FAQ lists 800-908-4490.
Can I use this process for a business?
No. Businesses, trusts, estates and tax-exempt organizations use Form 14039-B and separate IRS guidance.
How long will the IRS take?
The IRS materials do not provide one universal processing-time promise. Keep your records, monitor correspondence and respond promptly to every request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I file Form 14039 as soon as I suspect someone used my SSN?
No. Check for an IRS notice or verification request first. The IRS says most individuals do not need the form; use it only when the eligibility rules fit or the IRS directs you.
What if I already submitted Form 14039?
Do not send another affidavit for the same incident. Keep proof of submission and follow later IRS instructions.
Does an e-file rejection prove identity theft?
It is a warning that a return may already appear under your SSN or ITIN. File your genuine return, report the rejection and keep the records.
Can IdentityTheft.gov file my tax return?
No. The FTC may transfer the affidavit electronically, but the tax return is not transferred. You must still file and respond to the IRS.
Is an IP PIN required?
No. It is optional, six-digit protection for future federal returns and does not resolve an existing case.
What IRS number should I call?
Use the number on a specific notice. For general identity-theft account questions, the IRS FAQ lists 800-908-4490.
Can businesses use Form 14039?
No. Businesses, trusts, estates and tax-exempt organizations use Form 14039-B and separate IRS guidance.
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The IRS does not publish one universal processing-time promise for this process. Keep records and answer correspondence promptly.
The Bottom Line
Follow an IRS notice or verification request before doing anything else. If your e-filed return was rejected, file your real return and report the rejection. Use Form 14039 only when the IRS rules say it applies, submit the current February 2026 version through an official channel, keep complete records, and consider an IP PIN and IdentityTheft.gov reporting for future protection and broader recovery.
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