Any alternatives to IRS identity verification without the code? Been waiting 3 weeks, nothing arrives but they keep telling me to wait
Anyone else frustrated trying to get the verification code from IRS? I e-filed my return back in early April and got a message saying I needed to verify my identity. The IRS said they'd mail me a code within 7-10 days, but here I am almost 3 weeks later with nothing. I've called them 4 times and each time I get the same scripted response: "Just wait for the code in the mail." Today when I called again they said they'll send another one if it doesn't arrive by Monday, but thats another 2 weeks of waiting! Meanwhile I'm getting ALL my other mail just fine - credit card offers, bills, even a letter from the IRS about something else entirely. But no verification code. The most frustrating part is that my brother filed a week after me and already got his code and his refund. Is there ANY other way to verify without waiting for this phantom code that never seems to show up? I'm at my wits end here.
46 comments
Brianna Muhammad
Unfortunately, if the IRS has flagged your return for ID verification and they've decided to mail you a code, there's not much you can do to bypass this process. Here are your options: 1. Keep waiting for the mailed code (I know, not helpful) 2. You might be able to verify in person at a local IRS office - call to make an appointment 3. Some people have had success by contacting their Congressional Representative's office - they have taxpayer advocates who can sometimes cut through red tape 4. Check if you're eligible for online verification through ID.me instead of the mail code The fact that you're receiving other mail but not the IRS code is concerning. Make sure your address is exactly correct on your tax return - even small differences can cause mail routing issues. When you call again, ask specifically what address they're sending it to and confirm every detail.
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Camila Castillo
Thank you for the detailed response! I didnt know about the in-person option or contacting my representative. I'm definitely going to try making an appointment at my local office. My address is definitely correct - I double-checked it on my return and when i called them. So frustrating!
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JaylinCharles
The congressional rep approach actually worked for me last year! My brother works as a staffer and he said they get IRS cases ALL the time. They have direct lines to taxpayer advocates
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Eloise Kendrick
Just a warning - trying to get an in-person appointment right now is almost impossible unless your willing to drive hours to a far away office. I tried for 3 weeks to get one ๐คก
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Camila Castillo
Well that's discouraging ๐ Maybe I'll try the congressional rep route first then.
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Lucas Schmidt
I was in your exact situation last year. Spent WEEKS trying to get my verification code and constantly hitting dead ends. What finally worked for me was using taxr.ai - it's basically an AI tool that analyzes your tax transcript and explains what's going on in plain English. It showed me exactly why my return was flagged and gave me the specific IRS procedure code to reference when I called. Once I had that info, I got through to the right department immediately. It's insanely good! I use it every time I have an IRS issue now. Check it out here: https://taxr.ai
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Freya Collins
Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Lucas Schmidt
It does WAY more than just read the transcript. It actually analyzes all your codes, compares them to thousands of similar cases, and tells you exactly what's happening with your refund/return. It also gives you specific instructions on what to do next - like which department to call, what forms to fill out, etc. It saved me like 20+ hours of research and stress. Honestly best tax tool I've ever found.
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LongPeri
this sounds like an ad ๐
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Lucas Schmidt
Not an ad, just someone who was frustrated as hell with the IRS and finally found something that helped. Feel free to keep playing detective with your transcript and wasting time on hold tho ๐
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Oscar O'Neil
Lol I thought the same at first but I actually tried it after seeing it mentioned here and it's legit helpful. Showed me why my refund was delayed which was something about a random audit flag.
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Sara Hellquiem
After dealing with this same BS last month, I finally found a solution that worked. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me actually speaking to a real IRS agent. Bypassed all the usual "all agents are busy" nonsense and got a callback within an hour. The agent was able to verify my ID over the phone and override the mailing requirement since I could prove it was really me. Talking to an agent got my verification completed and my refund processed a week later. Worth every penny not to waste another month waiting for a letter that might never come.
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Charlee Coleman
Seriously? Does that actually work? Sounds too good to be true after all the hours I've wasted trying to get through.
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Sara Hellquiem
Yep, 100% worked for me. The IRS phone system is basically designed to make you give up. This service just keeps trying all their lines and gets you in the queue. The agent I spoke with was super helpful once I actually got to talk to a human.
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Liv Park
how much did it cost tho?
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Sara Hellquiem
Honestly whatever it cost was worth not spending another 3 weeks on hold or waiting for mail that never comes. I probably wasted more money in lost productivity banging my head against the wall trying to reach someone. Best money I've spent solving a tax issue.
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Leeann Blackstein
Can confirm, used this service last week after 2 months of trying to reach the IRS. Got a call back in 45 minutes and resolved my issue same day.
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Camila Castillo
Ok you guys convinced me. Just got on their site and it looks like exactly what I need. Going to try it tomorrow morning - will update with results!
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Ryder Greene
Have u checked ur junk mail? My verification letter came in an envelope that looked EXACTLY like junk mail - totally plain with just my address showing. No IRS markings on the outside. I almost threw it away thinking it was credit card spam. The USPS guy might have thought the same and not delivered it as important.
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Carmella Fromis
The whole ID verification system is completely broken. They lost my letter TWICE and then blamed me for giving the wrong address (I didn't). What finally worked was scheduling an in-person appointment and bringing multiple forms of ID. Took about 20 minutes once I was actually there. But getting the appointment took weeks of calling.
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Camila Castillo
How did you actually get the appointment? When I called they just kept directing me back to waiting for the letter
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Carmella Fromis
You have to specifically ask for an appointment for identity verification purposes. Don't accept "wait for the letter" as an answer. Ask to speak to a supervisor if needed. Be polite but firm that you've been waiting too long and need to verify another way.
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Theodore Nelson
This is accurate - worked for me too. The magic phrase is "I need to schedule an in-person appointment for identity verification since my letter has not arrived after multiple attempts"
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AaliyahAli
The IRS did this to me 3 years in a row! My theory is they do this on purpose to delay refunds and manage their cash flow. Think about it - if they can delay millions of refunds by a few months each year by "losing" verification letters, thats billions of dollars they get to hold onto longer.
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Ellie Simpson
Take off the tinfoil hat bro ๐ It's not a conspiracy, they're just understaffed and incompetent
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AaliyahAli
Call it what you want, but explain why they magically "find" my return right after tax season ends every. single. year. Seems convenient for them ๐ค
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Arjun Kurti
I work with tax cases professionally. It's definitely not intentional - their systems are just ancient and they're processing like 150 million returns with technology from the 1980s running on COBOL. Not a conspiracy, just massive tech debt.
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Raรบl Mora
Did you use the exact same address format on your tax return as you normally use? A few years ago my code never arrived because I put "Avenue" on my tax return but the USPS has me listed as "Ave" in their system. Seems minor but apparently it mattered.
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Margot Quinn
Same exact thing happened to me last year!!!! Guess what worked? Calling my local congresswoman's office. They have caseworkers who specialize in IRS issues. They contacted the IRS on my behalf and suddenly within 3 days, I got a call from an actual IRS person who verified me over the phone. This isn't just a random bit of luck - congressional offices have special channels to the IRS specifically for constituent services.
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Camila Castillo
This is really good to know, thank you! I'll try this route too. Did you just call their main office number?
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Margot Quinn
Yep! Just call their main number and say you need help with an IRS issue. They'll connect you with their caseworker who handles tax stuff. You'll need to fill out a form giving them permission to inquire about your tax info, but it's pretty simple.
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Evelyn Kim
This happened to me bc my mail was being stolen. You might want to set up informed delivery with USPS to see if the letter is actually being delivered and then disappearing.
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Camila Castillo
Omg I didn't even think of this... I do live in an apartment building with community mailboxes. I'm going to sign up for informed delivery right now.
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Diego Fisher
There is no other way to verify without the code if they've specifically told you to wait for a letter. Years ago there used to be a phone verification option but they eliminated it. The ID.me option only works if they specifically directed you to that path. The mailing system is basically designed to make you suffer.
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Henrietta Beasley
I'm a tax preparer and see this issue constantly. The IRS ID verification system is completely swamped right now due to heightened fraud prevention measures. Here's what's worked for my clients: 1. First, double-check that you're actually going through the correct verification process. There are several different types of IRS verification (return verification vs identity verification vs income verification) 2. If you're 100% sure you're in the ID verification process with a mailed code, your best bet is Taxpayer Advocate Service. You can qualify for their help if your refund delay is causing financial hardship. 3. If TAS won't help, your Congressional rep is next best option. 4. If all else fails, you may need to submit Form 911 (Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance). Don't just keep waiting - be proactive and try these alternatives.
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Lincoln Ramiro
This is the correct answer from someone who actually knows how the system works โ๏ธ
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Camila Castillo
Thank you for this detailed advice! Going to try the TAS route first.
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Faith Kingston
lmao welcome to IRS hell. been there twice. verification letters that never arrive are their specialty.
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Emma Johnson
Had this exact issue and in desperation tried using taxr.ai after seeing someone recommend it here. The tool analyzed my transcript and showed me that I was stuck in the identity verification program but it also showed that there was a secondary issue with a mismatched income document that was causing additional delays. Once I knew the exact codes on my account, I called the IRS with that info and they were able to verify me over the phone since I could reference the specific issue codes. https://taxr.ai saved me weeks of headaches.
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Liam Brown
Hmmm this is the 2nd time I'm seeing this tool mentioned. Is it actually helpful or just some gimmick?
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Emma Johnson
It genuinely helped me understand why my return was stuck and what specific steps I needed to take. Before that I was just blindly calling different IRS numbers hoping someone would help. Having the specific codes and issues made all the difference when I called.
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Olivia Garcia
I tried this after reading about it on another thread. It's actually pretty impressive - shows your entire tax history and explains every code in plain english. Helped me figure out I had a weird audit flag from 2018 that was causing my current return to be delayed.
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Noah Lee
The only thing that worked for me was the Taxpayer Advocate Service. Had to wait 3 weeks for an appointment but they resolved it same day once I got in front of them.
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Ava Hernandez
Quick question - are you trying to verify through the "Get Transcript" system or through the Identity Verification Service? They're two different things with different processes.
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Camila Castillo
It's the Identity Verification Service. After I e-filed they sent me a message saying I needed to verify my identity before they would process my return.
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Ava Hernandez
Ok that's the right one then. Just wanted to check because sometimes people confuse the two systems. Unfortunately the mailed code is your only option unless you go through TAS or congressional rep as others have suggested.
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