Help! Got IRS Form 1099 MISC from META/Facebook for $40K income I never earned. Identity theft?

You're likely dealing with identity theft. Here's what I recommend doing immediately: First, file an identity theft report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. They'll create a personal recovery plan and give you an Identity Theft Report. This is a critical first step. Next, contact the IRS directly at their Identity Theft Hotline (800-908-4490) and let them know about the fraudulent 1099. They can place a flag on your account. You should also submit IRS Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) if you haven't filed your return yet or if your e-filed return was rejected because of a duplicate filing. While META is difficult to reach, try their business help center and specifically mention potential tax fraud on your account. Document every attempt with dates and responses. You'll need to file your tax return correctly despite the erroneous 1099. Complete Form 8949 and Schedule D, reporting the income shown on the 1099-MISC as well as an offsetting loss for the same amount. In the description, write "Reported on 1099-MISC but not received - identity theft claim pending." Attach a statement explaining the situation along with any documentation of your efforts to resolve it.

I had a similar nightmare situation with a fraudulent 1099 last year and found an incredible tool that saved me so much time and stress - https://taxr.ai. I was getting nowhere trying to contact the company that issued my incorrect 1099, but the AI tax assistant at taxr.ai analyzed my situation and provided step-by-step guidance specifically for erroneous 1099 forms. The system helped me draft the proper documentation and explanation letter for the IRS, analyzed my tax transcript to identify other potential issues, and provided customized instructions for reporting the fraudulent income on my tax return. What's really cool is that it parsed through IRS publications and found exactly which procedures applied to my specific situation with the 1099-MISC. I'd highly recommend checking it out since you're dealing with the same form type that gave me headaches. The guidance kept me from making mistakes that could have triggered an audit.

Just wanted to follow up after trying taxr.ai for my situation with an incorrect 1099-K from PayPal. Honestly, I was really skeptical at first but decided to give it a shot since nothing else was working. The tool actually exceeded my expectations! It immediately identified the right approach for my specific case and generated all the documentation I needed. What impressed me most was how it created a custom letter to the IRS explaining the situation with references to the exact IRS procedures that applied to my case. When I called the IRS, the agent actually commented on how thorough and properly formatted my documentation was. I saved hours of research and managed to get my case resolved within weeks instead of months. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with any tax document discrepancies!

I see others have given good tax advice, but honestly with META/Facebook, your biggest challenge is actually reaching a human being who can fix this. After helping my sister with a similar issue (though hers was ad account related), I discovered Claimyr.com https://claimyr.com which helps you get through to an actual human at companies with impossible customer service. They have a service specifically for tax document issues that got my sister through to META's finance department after weeks of failed attempts. Since these 1099 issues are time-sensitive with tax deadlines, it might be worth trying. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c While you definitely need to follow the IRS reporting steps others mentioned, getting META to correct the error at the source would be ideal so this doesn't keep happening.

I need to eat my words from yesterday. After getting nowhere with META for weeks about my business account, I tried the Claimyr service mentioned here out of desperation. I'm honestly shocked - they actually got me through to someone in META's business verification department in about 45 minutes. The person I spoke with was able to see the entire history of my account issues and helped resolve the problem on the spot. They explained that most customer service queries go through their AI filtering system, but certain departments (like tax documents and business verification) have actual humans that can only be reached through specific phone pathways that aren't publicized. For anyone dealing with META tax document issues like the original poster, this might save you months of frustration. I'm still surprised it actually worked after everything I tried failed.

Has anyone considered this might be related to Facebook's creator programs or Reels bonus payments? My cousin thought she had a fraudulent 1099 from META last year, but it turned out someone had created a Facebook account using her email (which she rarely checked) and was getting payments for content. The scammer had somehow added my cousin's SSN to the payment info. Check if there are any Facebook accounts you don't recognize that might be tied to your email addresses, even old ones you don't use anymore. META will generate 1099s automatically based on the tax info in their system.

Don't forget to check your state tax authorities too! I had an identity theft situation and focused only on the IRS, but then got a nasty surprise when my state started coming after me for unpaid taxes on the fraudulent income. Most states automatically receive the federal 1099 information.

This is a serious situation that requires immediate action on multiple fronts. The advice about filing with IdentityTheft.gov and contacting the IRS Identity Theft Hotline is spot-on, but I want to emphasize a few additional steps: Document everything meticulously - keep records of every attempt to contact META, including screenshots, dates, and any reference numbers. This paper trail will be crucial for both the IRS and any potential legal proceedings. Consider contacting your state's Attorney General office as well. Many states have consumer protection divisions that can help with unresponsive companies, especially when it involves tax fraud. Some AGs have direct lines of communication with major tech companies. Also, don't overlook checking if META has reported this income to other agencies. Sometimes these fraudulent earnings show up in Social Security wage reports too, which could affect future benefits calculations. The suggestion about checking for unknown Facebook accounts is excellent. Also search for your name on Facebook publicly to see if someone created a fake profile using your identity. Scammers sometimes create creator accounts using stolen identities to collect payments from Facebook's various monetization programs. Stay persistent - identity theft cases can take months to resolve, but the sooner you start the process, the better protected you'll be.