lovehammer
Well-known member
So I go to the tax guy on Monday. Finish taxes and surprise, surprise, I'm going to get a refund of some of my money back. Roughly $2k. Had extra cash withheld this year because I got penalized last year for under-paying. I was hoping to break even or write the IRS a small check.
Tax guy starts the efile process and the IRS rejects my return because there's already a return filed under one of the social security numbers on the tax return. Prints me out the message - which has a number to call. Let me tell you, calling the IRS is more fun than than a root canal. Got through after hours of phone trees, holding, transfers, etc. It was all I had imagined and more. They actually have an entire dept to handle these situations.
The IRS tells me someone filed using my number. I politely asked how could this happen?! IRS says it's very common, and long story short I will get my refund in 180 days or so after they investigate the situation. Six months at the earliest. I ask if they are going to pay interest on my refund and she says no. I said, if I was late paying you fine folks you would dang sure charge me. She laughed and said I could count on it. I said I have filed for 15 years or so from the same address, 20 years or W2s from the same company, and 20 years jointly with the same woman. She said she could see that on her computer screen, but they would still need to investigate. Ugh...
She also gave me a to do list. I had to file a local police report. Contact the Federal Trade Commision and file a fraud report. Contact the Social Security folks and file a fraud report. Contract one of the three credit reporting agencies and place a fraud alert on my SSN. I also had to print out an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit form and submit it filled out along with a copy of my driver's license and social security card with the printed copy of my tax return. Failure to do any one of these would further delay the investigation.
The social security office said the most likely scenario is someone is working under my SSN. Illegals will randomly make up or buy a number and use it for employment purposes. Most of these folks get the earned income credit so they get back WAY more than they pay in. That's the motivation for filing a tax return. The fake number also allows them to collect food stamps, etc. His words not mine.
Anyway, I got to spend a day of vacation time ironing this crap out. I don't know what the fallout will be or when I will get my money. Ah, the joys of being an American taxpayer.
Anybody have anything similar happen to them? Any other tips on what I should do next?
Tax guy starts the efile process and the IRS rejects my return because there's already a return filed under one of the social security numbers on the tax return. Prints me out the message - which has a number to call. Let me tell you, calling the IRS is more fun than than a root canal. Got through after hours of phone trees, holding, transfers, etc. It was all I had imagined and more. They actually have an entire dept to handle these situations.
The IRS tells me someone filed using my number. I politely asked how could this happen?! IRS says it's very common, and long story short I will get my refund in 180 days or so after they investigate the situation. Six months at the earliest. I ask if they are going to pay interest on my refund and she says no. I said, if I was late paying you fine folks you would dang sure charge me. She laughed and said I could count on it. I said I have filed for 15 years or so from the same address, 20 years or W2s from the same company, and 20 years jointly with the same woman. She said she could see that on her computer screen, but they would still need to investigate. Ugh...
She also gave me a to do list. I had to file a local police report. Contact the Federal Trade Commision and file a fraud report. Contact the Social Security folks and file a fraud report. Contract one of the three credit reporting agencies and place a fraud alert on my SSN. I also had to print out an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit form and submit it filled out along with a copy of my driver's license and social security card with the printed copy of my tax return. Failure to do any one of these would further delay the investigation.
The social security office said the most likely scenario is someone is working under my SSN. Illegals will randomly make up or buy a number and use it for employment purposes. Most of these folks get the earned income credit so they get back WAY more than they pay in. That's the motivation for filing a tax return. The fake number also allows them to collect food stamps, etc. His words not mine.
Anyway, I got to spend a day of vacation time ironing this crap out. I don't know what the fallout will be or when I will get my money. Ah, the joys of being an American taxpayer.
Anybody have anything similar happen to them? Any other tips on what I should do next?
