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How to fix IRS tax debt put in my name by my father without my knowledge

I've found myself in a serious situation and need some help figuring out my options. When I graduated high school in 2017, my father registered a business under my name without my real involvement or consent. Fast forward to today, and I've discovered there's about $105,000 of tax debt to the IRS attached to my name from this business that I never actually operated or saw income from. I've been working regular jobs since graduating, and I've never received a federal tax refund because it all gets applied to this massive debt that isn't mine. The debt has decreased slightly to about $105K (from around $130K originally), so it seems like some payments are being made, but I don't see any payment records when I check my IRS account online. My dad has a decent job and seems to be slowly paying it down, but I'm worried about the future - especially what happens when he retires or can't make payments anymore. I don't want my dad to get in legal trouble, but I also can't have this hanging over my head forever. The business closed a few years ago, but the debt remains. I should mention I was 18 when he put the business in my name (about 4 months after my birthday), so I wasn't a minor. I plan to talk to him about this, but I need to understand my options first. What steps should I take to address this situation? Can I somehow get this debt removed from my name?

This is identity theft, even though it was done by your father. You have a few options, but they all involve some difficult choices: 1. File Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) with the IRS explaining your situation. The IRS has a dedicated Identity Theft Victim Assistance organization that can help separate legitimate tax issues from fraudulent ones. This would likely trigger an investigation into your father. 2. Consult with a tax attorney who specializes in tax controversy before doing anything. They can help you understand exactly what happened, what your liability truly is, and the best path forward with the least damage. 3. Have a serious conversation with your father first. He needs to understand the severity of what he's done and work with you on a solution. This might include him taking formal responsibility for the debt. The hard truth is that since you were 18 when this happened, the IRS considers you legally responsible unless you can prove fraud or identity theft. Just know that proving identity theft will likely result in consequences for your father. Whatever you decide, don't ignore this. Tax debt doesn't go away, and the IRS has extensive collection powers including wage garnishment and asset seizure.

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Paolo Bianchi

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If I go the identity theft route, would my father definitely face criminal charges? I don't want him to go to jail, but I also can't spend the rest of my life paying for something I had no part in. Also, since some payments are being made, would that complicate things if I claim I wasn't involved?

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Not necessarily. The IRS is primarily concerned with collecting taxes owed, not pursuing criminal charges in every case. While what your father did could technically be considered criminal identity theft, if he cooperates and takes responsibility, criminal prosecution might be avoided. Many tax cases are handled civilly rather than criminally. The fact that payments are being made doesn't automatically hurt your case, but it could raise questions. The key is whether you knew about and consented to the business being in your name. If you can demonstrate you had no knowledge or control of the business operations, the payments being made actually support your story that someone else (your father) was running everything.

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Yara Assad

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I was in a somewhat similar situation with my ex-spouse putting business tax debt in my name. After months of stress and confusion, I found a service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me sort through everything. They analyzed all my IRS transcripts and tax documents to identify exactly what happened and when. The system flagged all the suspicious transactions and filings that didn't match my personal income history, which gave me solid documentation to bring to the IRS. They even helped me prepare the right forms to file. Having all that organized evidence made a huge difference in getting the IRS to take my case seriously. Might be worth checking out since you're dealing with a complicated situation that spans several years.

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Olivia Clark

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How exactly does this service work? Do they just review documents or do they actually help resolve the problem with the IRS? I'm dealing with some identity theft tax issues too and wondering if this would help.

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I'm skeptical about these types of services. Couldn't you just get the same information directly from the IRS website? Why pay for something that might just be repackaging information you can get for free?

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Yara Assad

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They do a deep analysis of all your tax transcripts and documents using AI to find inconsistencies and flag issues that might not be obvious. They don't just show you what you can see on the IRS website - they identify patterns, flag suspicious items, and provide documentation that helps build your case. It basically gives you a complete picture of what happened and when. As for resolving the problem, they don't represent you to the IRS, but they provide detailed reports and recommendations that make it much easier to work with the IRS or a tax professional. They helped me identify specific returns and transactions that weren't mine, which I couldn't have figured out on my own from just looking at my transcripts.

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I want to follow up about taxr.ai that I questioned earlier. I decided to try it because my situation with incorrect 1099s was getting worse, and wow - it actually delivered. The service analyzed years of my tax documents and found exactly where and when the incorrect filings happened. It generated a detailed report showing the timeline of suspicious filings that didn't match my normal income patterns. This gave me solid documentation to take to the IRS, and I was able to get the incorrectly filed taxes removed from my record. The best part was seeing everything laid out clearly - it made a complicated mess suddenly understandable. If you're dealing with tax identity theft like this, having that kind of documentation really helps your case. The IRS actually took me seriously when I could show exactly what happened and when.

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Have you tried contacting the IRS directly about this? I was in a situation last year where I needed to talk to someone at the IRS about tax identity theft, and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through on their phone lines. After weeks of trying, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that somehow gets you through the IRS phone system and connects you with an actual agent. Check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was super skeptical at first, but I was desperate after being on hold for hours across multiple days. They got me through to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying unsuccessfully for weeks. The agent was able to flag my account for identity theft investigation and walk me through the next steps. Given how complicated your situation is, speaking directly with the IRS might be your best first step.

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TechNinja

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How exactly does this service work? The IRS phone lines are notoriously impossible to get through. Is this actually legitimate? I've been trying to reach someone for weeks.

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This sounds like a scam. How could some third-party service possibly get you through to the IRS faster than calling directly? The IRS doesn't give priority access to anyone. I'd be very careful about giving any personal tax information to random services.

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It uses technology to navigate the IRS phone system and wait on hold for you. When they reach an agent, they call you and connect you directly to that IRS representative. It's completely legitimate - you're talking to actual IRS agents, not intermediaries. The service just handles the waiting part. The way it works is they use automated systems to continuously call and navigate the IRS phone tree until they get through to an agent. Once they do, they immediately call you and connect you. You're not giving them any personal tax info - they're just getting you past the hold times.

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I need to follow up about Claimyr that I was skeptical about earlier. After continuing to fail getting through to the IRS myself for another week, I broke down and tried it. I really can't believe it worked. After trying for literally months to get through to the IRS about a similar identity theft issue, Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 35 minutes. The agent immediately put notes on my account about the potential identity theft and started the investigation process. She also gave me direct instructions on which forms to file and the best way to document my case. I was 100% wrong in my skepticism. If you're trying to resolve this with the IRS directly, this service is absolutely worth it just to save the countless hours of hold music and disconnections. Getting to speak with an actual human at the IRS made all the difference in my case.

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Amina Diallo

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You might want to check your credit report too. If your father put a business in your name without permission, there's a chance he might have taken out business loans or credit cards too. You should get a full credit report from all three bureaus to make sure there aren't other financial issues tied to your name that you don't know about. Also, while I understand not wanting to get your father in trouble, please remember that you're the victim here. This could affect your financial future for decades if not addressed properly. Whatever path you choose, make sure you're protecting yourself first.

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TechNinja

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I hadn't even thought about checking my credit report. That's a really good point. Do you know if business debts always show up on personal credit reports? And if I do find something, should I dispute it the same way as the tax debt?

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Amina Diallo

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Business debts can absolutely show up on your personal credit report, especially if the business was a sole proprietorship or if your father used your personal information to guarantee any loans. Even with corporations or LLCs, lenders often require personal guarantees from owners for small businesses. If you find unauthorized accounts or loans, you would dispute them differently than tax debt. For credit report issues, you'd file disputes directly with the credit bureaus using their fraud departments. You may also need to file a police report for identity theft, which some creditors require before removing fraudulent accounts. This is separate from the IRS process, but equally important for your financial health.

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GamerGirl99

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Has anyone considered that maybe the father didn't do this maliciously? Maybe he thought he was helping his kid establish credit or a business history? I'm not saying what he did was right - it definitely wasn't - but before going straight to identity theft claims and potentially sending your dad to jail, maybe have an honest conversation with him first?

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Intent doesn't really matter when you're talking about $105K in tax debt that could follow this person for life. Even if the father meant well (which seems doubtful), he's essentially saddled his child with a massive financial burden without consent. That's not something you do to someone you care about, regardless of intention.

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