Received IRS form 13873-E but I've never filed taxes before - what's going on?

This definitely sounds like either a mistake or potentially something more concerning like identity theft. Form 4506-C is a request for transcript of tax return information, which someone would typically submit when applying for a mortgage, loan, or certain government benefits to verify their income. Since you're sure you never filled this out yourself, someone else may have requested your tax information using this form. I'd recommend taking this seriously and doing a few things: 1) Contact the IRS directly at their Identity Theft hotline: 800-908-4490. Explain exactly what happened and that you never requested this form. 2) Check your credit reports right away at annualcreditreport.com to see if there are any accounts or inquiries you don't recognize. 3) Keep the letter you received as evidence in case you need it later. Don't ignore this - it's better to be proactive about potential identity issues before they become bigger problems!

This happened to me last year! I was getting nowhere with the IRS until I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me figure out exactly what was going on. They analyzed my weird IRS letter and explained it was likely because someone had tried using my info for a loan application. Their system lets you upload the document and then explains everything in plain English with steps on what to do next. It was way better than waiting on hold with the IRS for hours. They even helped me draft a response letter and told me exactly where to send it. Saved me so much stress trying to figure it out on my own!

Okay I was skeptical about taxr.ai but I actually tried it after posting my last comment. Uploaded my weird IRS notice and it immediately told me it was a CP2000 form about unreported income from a side gig I forgot about. No wonder I was confused! The explanation was super clear and it even gave me a template for how to respond. Way better than the cryptic IRS language on the original notice. Saved me from having to take a day off work to call the IRS and sit on hold forever. Just wanted to update since it actually helped more than I expected.

If you're dealing with the IRS, good luck getting them on the phone these days! After trying for WEEKS to reach someone about a similar weird form I got, I finally used https://claimyr.com to get through. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c but basically they wait on hold with the IRS for you and then call you when an actual human picks up! I was like 90% sure it was a scam but I was desperate after trying to call the IRS myself and giving up after 2+ hours on hold. But it seriously works - they got me connected with an IRS agent within like 45 minutes when I had been trying unsuccessfully for days. The agent confirmed someone had tried to get my tax info but failed because of address mismatch. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind knowing exactly what was happening.

Ok I feel stupid now but I owe everyone an update. After being completely convinced that Claimyr thing was a scam, I actually tried it because I was desperate about my own IRS situation. IT ACTUALLY WORKS. I had been trying to get through to the IRS for THREE WEEKS. Claimyr had me talking to a real IRS agent in 37 minutes while I just went about my day. The agent helped me figure out someone had tried using my info for a mortgage application (I'm 20 and definitely not buying a house lol). I was 100% wrong and I'm genuinely shocked that it delivered exactly what it promised. Sorry for being so negative before!

Have you checked if anyone else in your household might have requested this without telling you? My mom once requested my transcript for some financial aid verification without telling me, and I got confused by the follow-up notices. Might be worth asking family members before assuming identity theft.

Does the form have your correct social security number on it? Sometimes the IRS mixes up people with similar names. Had this happen to my cousin - kept getting letters for someone with the same name but different middle initial.

Whatever you do, don't ignore this! My friend ignored a weird IRS letter thinking it was a mistake and ended up with a much bigger headache months later. At minimum, call them to find out what's going on so there's a record that you followed up on this.

This is definitely something to take seriously! I work in financial aid and we do sometimes request tax transcripts for verification, but we ALWAYS notify students first and get their permission. The fact that you never filed taxes actually makes this more suspicious, not less - it suggests someone was fishing to see what tax information exists under your SSN. A few things to check immediately: 1. Look at the SSN on the form - make sure it's actually yours 2. Call your school's financial aid office to confirm they didn't request this 3. If neither of those explain it, definitely contact the IRS identity theft hotline Also, since you're 19 and in college, make sure to freeze your credit reports with all three bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) as a precaution. It's free and will prevent anyone from opening accounts in your name while you sort this out. Don't wait on this - identity theft targeting young adults is unfortunately very common because many don't monitor their credit yet.

I'm really glad you're taking this seriously and asking for help! As someone who's dealt with IRS mix-ups before, I'd definitely echo what others have said about not ignoring this. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you do end up calling the IRS, make sure you have the exact form number (13873-E) and any reference numbers from the letter when you call. This will help them look up exactly what happened much faster than trying to explain the situation from scratch. Also, since you mentioned you work part-time at the campus bookstore, double-check that your employer has your correct SSN on file. Sometimes payroll errors can create weird tax situations that trigger unexpected IRS correspondence, even if you haven't filed yet. Keep us updated on what you find out - cases like this really help other students know what to watch for!

This is definitely concerning and you're right to ask for help! As someone who went through a similar situation, I'd recommend documenting everything carefully. Take photos of the form 13873-E and any envelope it came in - sometimes the postmark or processing center information can be helpful. Since you've never filed taxes, there's really no legitimate reason for anyone to request your tax transcript unless it's identity theft or a clerical error. The fact that it failed due to an "incomplete or missing address" actually suggests someone may have tried to use outdated or incorrect information about you. Beyond calling the IRS identity theft hotline that others mentioned, I'd also suggest: 1. File a police report for potential identity theft - you'll want this documentation 2. Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit (this is different from a freeze and lasts 1 year) 3. Keep detailed records of all your communications about this issue The good news is you caught this early! Most identity theft cases that start with transcript requests get much worse if ignored, but you're being proactive. Don't let anyone convince you this is "just a mistake" until you've verified it with the IRS directly.

This is really scary but you're doing the right thing by reaching out! I'm a tax preparer and I see situations like this occasionally. Form 13873-E specifically deals with failed Form 4506-C requests, and since you never submitted one, this is definitely a red flag. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. Call the IRS Identity Protection Unit at 800-908-4490 (as others mentioned) - they're specifically trained for these situations 2. When you call, have the form ready and ask them to check if there are any other transcript requests or suspicious activity on your account 3. Request a copy of your tax account transcript (Form 4506-T) to see if there's any other activity you're unaware of The silver lining is that whoever tried this failed because of the address mismatch - that actually protected you in this case. But you need to find out who attempted this and make sure there aren't other attempts you don't know about. Also, since you work part-time, you might actually need to file a tax return even with low income if you had federal taxes withheld - you could be due a refund! But that's a separate issue to deal with after you resolve this identity concern. Please update us on what the IRS tells you - this kind of information really helps other students recognize these warning signs.