 TITLE: How to Handle Identity Theft With the IRS CONTENT: What Is Tax Identity Theft?\n---------------------------\nThis form of tax fraud occurs when someone uses your Social Security number (SSN) and other personal information to file a fraudulent tax return in your name. The fraudster's goal is to obtain a tax refund payment before you or anyone else notices.\nYou may not find out that you've been victimized until you go to file your return only to get an error saying it's a duplicate. The IRS won't let you re-file if someone has already used your SSN to file a return, and you'll need to work with the agency to make sure your taxes are legitimately squared away.\nOther potential signs that someone has stolen your information to commit tax fraud include:\n*   The IRS sent you a letter about a suspicious tax return.\n*   You received a tax transcript in the mail, but you didn't request one.\n*   You got a notice that someone accessed your IRS online account or someone created a new account in your name.\n*   The IRS shows that you received income from a source you don't recognize.\n*   You received a notice from the agency that you owe additional tax or need to offset an old tax refund you weren't due.\n*   The IRS has sent you a notice of collections for a year for which you didn't file a return.\nWhen you first discover that something is wrong, stay calm and don't take any drastic actions. The IRS has policies in place to protect you from missing out on your tax refund, though it may take a little bit of time to sort things out. END