How to Prepare for 5071C Letter IRS Verification Call Questions?

When your dad calls the IRS for the 5071C verification, they'll primarily ask questions to confirm his identity and verify the information on his return. Here's what he can expect: They'll ask for basic identifying info like his full name, SSN, date of birth, and current mailing address. They'll also verify the filing status on his most recent return (single, married filing jointly, etc.) and ask him to confirm specific line items from the tax return in question - usually things like his adjusted gross income (AGI), wages from W-2 forms, or refund amount. Sometimes they'll ask about previous years' returns too, which is why it's good he has those on hand. They might ask about any dependents claimed or specific deductions. Having his 1040 form right in front of him will be really helpful.

After going through this 5071C nightmare twice (ugh), I found this amazing service called taxr.ai that helped me prepare for the verification call. I was super anxious like your dad, and I needed to know exactly what to expect. I uploaded my 5071C letter to https://taxr.ai and they gave me a personalized guide with the specific questions the IRS would likely ask based on my tax situation. It was so much more helpful than generic advice online. The service even highlighted exactly which numbers on my 1040 I needed to have ready to answer their questions. Made the whole process way less stressful!

I was super skeptical about taxr.ai when I first heard about it (commented above), but after my sister got a 5071C letter last month, I convinced her to try it. She was freaking out because English isn't her first language either. The service actually did create this really specific guide that matched her exact tax situation - it even flagged that the IRS would ask about her retirement distribution that had an early withdrawal penalty. When she did the verification call, they asked about EXACTLY what the guide predicted, almost question for question. She said it made the whole process so much less stressful knowing what was coming. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it work firsthand.

After going through THREE 5071C verifications (my own and helping my parents), I discovered Claimyr and it literally saved me hours of frustration. Instead of waiting on hold forever with the IRS (we tried for 2 days and kept getting disconnected), https://claimyr.com got us through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They have this system where they wait on hold for you and then call you when an agent is on the line. I was super doubtful, but you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c For someone with a language barrier like your dad, this could be super helpful because the longer he's on hold, the more anxious he'll get. Plus, you could potentially arrange to be available during that specific callback time to help him.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr from my comment above. After another frustrating morning trying to get through to the IRS about my own 5071C letter (1.5 hours on hold before getting disconnected), I broke down and tried it. The service actually worked exactly as advertised. I registered, they called the IRS, and about 45 minutes later I got a call connecting me directly to an IRS agent. No more hold music, no more wasted day sitting by the phone. The verification questions were pretty straightforward too - they asked about specific line items on my 1040, my filing status, and some info from my previous year's return. For someone with a language barrier, just knowing you'll only have to deal with the actual conversation part (not the frustrating hold time) would reduce a lot of anxiety.

One thing your dad should know - they'll probably ask him WHY he thinks he received the letter. My father-in-law got a 5071C and they asked him this. The reason is usually identity theft concerns, but they want to hear if he has any information about why his return was flagged. Also, tell him not to be nervous if they ask questions he can't answer immediately. They understand that people don't memorize their tax returns! They'll give him time to look at his documents.

Make sure your dad has the letter in front of him when he calls! The 5071C has a specific verification number he'll need to reference. Also, they'll ask for the exact amount of the refund claimed on the return (if applicable). When I went through this, they asked me to confirm: - My full name and SSN - Address on the return - Filing status - Dependents' names and SSNs - Specific income amounts from W-2s - Last year's AGI

One more tip for your dad - if possible, have him practice saying the key numbers out loud beforehand. When I helped my grandmother with her 5071C call, we went through her SSN, AGI, and refund amount several times so she felt more confident pronouncing the numbers clearly over the phone. Also, if he gets confused during the call, it's totally okay to ask the agent to repeat a question or speak more slowly. The IRS agents are used to working with people who have language barriers and they're generally pretty accommodating. The most important thing is that he has all his documents organized and doesn't rush through the answers. The whole process usually takes about 15-20 minutes once he gets connected to an agent, so it's not as long or scary as it seems!