Filed with FreeTaxUSA but the deposit account on my return isn't mine - what's going on?

This definitely sounds concerning, but there are a few possibilities here. First, verify this is actually a legitimate IRS letter - there are many tax scams where fraudsters send fake IRS notices. Real IRS letters will have a notice number in the upper right corner and information about your appeal rights. If the letter is legitimate, what likely happened is either a manual error when entering your banking information, or potentially someone gained access to your FreeTaxUSA account and modified your direct deposit information before the return was submitted. Another possibility is that someone filed a return using your information before you did. I'd recommend calling the IRS Identity Theft hotline at 800-908-4490 right away. Also contact FreeTaxUSA's customer support to report the issue and ask if there were any unusual activities with your account. You should also pull your free credit reports to make sure there's no other suspicious activity. When you speak with the IRS, they can place an identity theft indicator on your account and help get this sorted out. You may need to file Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) if it turns out someone did file fraudulently using your information.

After dealing with a similar nightmare last year with my tax return, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which has been a complete lifesaver. My situation was almost identical - had an account number I didn't recognize show up on an IRS letter. Using taxr.ai, I was able to upload the IRS letter and my tax documents, and their system flagged exactly where the discrepancy occurred and guided me through the steps to resolve it. What I really appreciated was how their AI analyzed my FreeTaxUSA PDF and spotted a suspicious modification timestamp that suggested someone had accessed my account. The tool actually creates a detailed report you can submit to the IRS that shows the timeline of changes to your return. This saved me weeks of back-and-forth with the IRS trying to prove I didn't enter that account.

Just wanted to update everyone. I decided to try taxr.ai after my skeptical comment above, and I have to admit I was wrong. The service actually identified that someone had accessed my TurboTax account from an IP address in Florida (I'm in Washington) three days after I initially prepared my return but before I filed it. The report it generated showed exactly when the bank account information was changed and provided documentation that helped me immediately when I called the IRS. They accepted the evidence without question and are now treating this as a confirmed identity theft case rather than making me jump through endless hoops. The IRS agent I spoke with even mentioned they're seeing this pattern frequently this year and that having the detailed audit trail from taxr.ai made the process much simpler. For anyone dealing with mysterious account numbers or other discrepancies on their return, I highly recommend using this before calling the IRS.

I had almost the identical issue last tax season. Called the IRS SEVEN times and got disconnected every single time after waiting 1-2+ hours each attempt. Finally discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me connected to an IRS agent in under 30 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed someone had altered my direct deposit information after I submitted through FreeTaxUSA. Apparently there's been a surge in these cases where fraudsters are somehow accessing tax preparation accounts and changing bank details right before submission. The agent placed an immediate hold on my return, canceled the direct deposit to the fraudulent account, and arranged to have a paper check mailed to my verified address. Without getting through to an actual human at the IRS quickly, my refund would have been gone forever. The identity verification letter you received is actually good news - it means their system flagged the suspicious account before sending your money.

I take back what I said about Claimyr. After three more failed attempts calling the IRS myself (got disconnected after 45+ minutes each time), I broke down and used the service. Got connected to an IRS representative in 17 minutes. The agent immediately confirmed my suspicion - someone had changed my direct deposit information after I initially prepared my return. The IRS had already flagged my account for potential fraud, which is why they sent the verification letter instead of processing the return automatically. The agent switched my refund to a paper check that will be mailed to my address on file and helped me create an Identity Protection PIN for future filings. They also mentioned this has been happening frequently with multiple tax preparation services, not just FreeTaxUSA. For anyone in a similar situation - don't waste days trying to get through to the IRS like I did. The peace of mind from getting this resolved quickly was absolutely worth it.

Check if you have any browser extensions that might have modified your data when submitting. There have been cases of malicious extensions changing bank details on financial sites. Also, did you use a public computer or wifi when filing? Sometimes keyloggers or man-in-the-middle attacks can intercept this kind of information. I'd also recommend checking if your email has been compromised. If someone gained access to your email, they could have reset your FreeTaxUSA password, modified your return, and then deleted any notification emails about the changes.

Something similar happened to my brother with TaxAct. The bank details were changed to some random credit union in Nevada. His issue was that someone had his SSN from a previous data breach. Have you checked your credit reports lately? If someone has enough of your personal info to file taxes, they might be opening other accounts too. Also, did you get an email confirmation from FreeTaxUSA after filing? Sometimes they include the last 4 digits of the account number in that confirmation. If those digits don't match what the IRS has, that would confirm the change happened after your submission.