5747C Letter from IRS - Has anyone dealt with this identity verification notice?

I'm a tax resolution specialist and see these 5747C letters frequently. Don't panic - this is the IRS's standard identity verification process to prevent fraud. The IRS sends these when certain elements of your return trigger their filters. You have two options: call the Identity Verification phone number listed on your letter (which can have long wait times) or schedule an in-person appointment at a Taxpayer Assistance Center. For the call, make sure you have your prior year tax return, your current tax return, and the 5747C letter itself. You'll also need any supporting documents mentioned in the letter. The process typically takes about 15-30 minutes once you reach a representative. After verification, your return processing will resume. Most refunds are issued within 9 weeks after successful verification, though I've seen many come through faster.

I went through this exact same thing last year and was totally stressed until I found https://taxr.ai - it saved me so much anxiety! I uploaded my 5747C letter there and it gave me a complete breakdown of exactly why the IRS was flagging my return and what specific documents I needed to bring. The analysis showed me that the IRS was questioning my self-employment income because I had a big increase from the previous year. What was super helpful was that it explained what questions the IRS agent would likely ask me based on my specific situation. When I went to my appointment, everything went exactly as the tool predicted, and I was prepared with all the right documentation.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after my initial skepticism. I decided to try it with my 5747C letter and was seriously impressed. It showed me that I was flagged because I had both education credits and a home office deduction that created an unusual pattern on my return. The tool gave me a checklist of documents to bring to my verification appointment that wasn't even mentioned in the original IRS letter. When I went in, the IRS agent asked specifically about those items! The appointment went smoothly since I was prepared with everything they wanted to see. My refund was deposited about 3 weeks after the verification. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with one of these letters.

These 5747C letters are a huge headache! I got one last year and spent THREE DAYS trying to reach someone at the IRS. Kept getting busy signals or disconnected after waiting on hold for hours. It was a complete nightmare. Finally, I stumbled across https://claimyr.com which is this service that basically waits on hold with the IRS for you. You can see their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They called the IRS Identity Verification line, waited through the hold time, and then called me when they had an actual IRS agent on the line. Saved me literally hours of frustration.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After dismissing it, I was still struggling with getting through to the IRS about my 5747C letter. Wait times were 2+ hours and I kept getting disconnected. So I reluctantly tried the service, and I'm shocked to say it actually worked perfectly. I placed the request at around 8:30am, went about my morning, and at 10:15am got a call connecting me directly to an IRS agent who was already on the line. The identity verification took about 15 minutes, and I was told my refund would be processed within 9 weeks. Got it in about 5 weeks actually. For anyone dealing with a 5747C letter who can't spend all day on hold, it's a legitimate solution to the IRS phone nightmare.

My husband and I got a 5747C letter last month. We went to our local IRS office in person instead of calling. Had to make an appointment about 2 weeks out, but the actual verification only took 20 minutes. Brought our IDs, social security cards, and copies of our returns from this year and last year. The IRS agent told us they sent the letter because we had a first-time home buyer credit on our return that triggered additional verification. Our refund came about 4 weeks after our appointment. Not nearly as stressful as I expected!

Is there actually a legitimate reason for these letters or is it just the IRS creating more hoops to jump through so they can hold onto our money longer??

I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago and totally understand the anxiety! The good news is that it's really not as scary as it seems at first. I called the number on my 5747C letter and yes, the wait time was brutal - about 2.5 hours on hold - but once I got through, the actual verification was pretty straightforward. The agent asked me to confirm basic info like my address, filing status, and some line items from my current and prior year returns. They also asked about my employer and a few specific deductions I claimed. The whole conversation took maybe 20 minutes once I was connected. My refund was issued exactly 6 weeks after the call, which was actually faster than they initially told me to expect. Just make sure you have your tax documents handy when you call - both this year's and last year's returns. The IRS agent was actually pretty helpful and explained that my return was flagged because I had moved states and changed jobs, which created an unusual pattern in their system. Don't stress too much about it - it's really just a verification process to make sure you are who you say you are!

I got a 5747C letter about three weeks ago and finally made it through the verification process yesterday. I wanted to share what worked for me since I know how stressful this can be! I tried calling multiple times but kept getting disconnected or couldn't get through at all. Finally decided to schedule an in-person appointment at my local Taxpayer Assistance Center, which was honestly the best decision. The appointment was scheduled for about 10 days out, but the actual process was so much smoother than trying to call. The IRS representative was really professional and walked me through everything step by step. She explained that my letter was triggered because I had claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit for the first time this year after getting a new job. Apparently that's a common trigger for their fraud detection system. I brought my driver's license, Social Security card, current year tax return, last year's return, and all my W-2s. The whole appointment took about 25 minutes, and she was able to verify my identity on the spot. She told me to expect my refund within 6-9 weeks, but honestly just having it resolved felt like a huge weight off my shoulders. If you're struggling with the phone lines, I'd really recommend trying the in-person route if you have a Taxpayer Assistance Center nearby. Much less frustrating than sitting on hold for hours!