Got a text from H&R Block saying my return was accepted, but I haven't filed yet and don't use H&R Block

This definitely sounds like tax identity theft, which unfortunately is becoming more common. You need to act quickly, but don't panic. Here's what you should do: First, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490 to report the suspected fraud. They'll guide you through their process for tax-related identity theft. You'll need to file IRS Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) with a copy of your identification. This alerts the IRS that your identity may have been compromised for tax purposes. When you file your legitimate return, you'll likely need to submit a paper return rather than e-filing since the system will show you've already filed. Be prepared for delays in processing your legitimate return. Also, request a tax transcript from the IRS website to see what returns have been filed under your Social Security number. This will help you confirm if fraud has occurred. Since you've already frozen your credit, that's good. But also consider filing a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and filing a police report.

I went through something similar last year and was pulling my hair out until I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). Their system analyzed my tax transcript and highlighted that someone had filed using my info and had even used info from my previous year's legitimate return to make it look more authentic. The service helped me document exactly what happened for the IRS - it showed line by line what was filed fraudulently so I could specifically call out what wasn't mine. I uploaded my transcript and got a clear breakdown of everything - it was so much easier than trying to figure it out myself when I was already stressed about the identity theft. Their system can detect patterns that indicate fraud and helped me create the documentation I needed for the IRS identity theft department.

Came back to update - I checked out taxr.ai after my skeptical comment and I'm honestly impressed. I was able to see that the fraudster had used my employer info but made up income numbers that were about 15% higher than my actual earnings. They also claimed a bunch of deductions I would never qualify for. The report showed exactly which lines on the return were suspicious based on my past filing patterns, which made filing Form 14039 much easier because I could specifically point to what was wrong. The IRS agent I spoke with actually commented on how thorough my documentation was, which apparently helps speed up the resolution. Just got confirmation that my case is being processed and my legitimate return (which I had to paper file) will be handled by their specialized unit. Definitely made a stressful situation more manageable.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - you're going to need to contact the IRS, but good luck actually getting through to them! I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone about my identity theft issue last year, calling every day and hanging on hold for hours. I finally discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to an IRS agent in under 45 minutes. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Basically, their system navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an actual human picks up. Saved me so much time and frustration when I was dealing with my tax identity theft case. The identity theft department specifically is super backed up, so having a way to actually reach them quickly is crucial.

Just wanted to follow up about my skeptical comment regarding Claimyr. I broke down and tried it yesterday after spending literally 4 hours on hold with the IRS only to have the call drop. The Claimyr service called me back in about 35 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line - I almost fell out of my chair. The agent I spoke with in the Identity Theft department was super helpful and walked me through exactly what documentation they needed. She flagged my SSN in their system so that no further fraudulent returns could be processed and gave me a specific case number to reference in all future communications. I'm still annoyed I had to use a third party service to reach a government agency, but at this point, I'm just relieved to have my case in progress instead of still trying to get through on the phone.

Don't forget to check your state tax situation too! A lot of people focus only on federal tax identity theft but forget the fraudsters often file state returns too for extra refunds. I had someone file a fake federal AND state return in my name. The state process for disputing fraud is completely different from the federal IRS process.

One thing that helped me when I went through this - get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) from the IRS for future filing! After my identity theft case was resolved, I signed up for an IP PIN and now no one can file electronically using my SSN without that special code, which changes every year.