What to Do if your Tax Refund is Stolen by an Identity Thief

The United States paid out $5.8 Billion in bogus income tax refunds in 2013. Crooks often use fake W-2 forms along with real social security numbers to generate tax refunds that are sent directly to them.
Meanwhile you, the identify theft victim, get no refund and you even have trouble getting in touch with an IRS representative. When you call the IRS, you spend a very long time on hold during tax season because of IRS budget cuts.

If you believe you are not receiving your tax refund due to identity theft, you need to do the following:

  1. File a police report with your local police department
  2. Obtain a copy of the police report
  3. Complete IRS form 14039- “Identity Theft Affidavit”
  4. Prepare a manual copy of your tax return
  5. Mail the tax return, the police report and IRS form 14039 to the Internal Revenue Service

Toledo, Ohio attorney Fred Boyk represents individuals and businesses with financial, tax and bankruptcy issues. If you want to discuss your situation, he can be contacted at (419) 327-6160.