[Tax Identity Theft] Someone tried filing fraudulent 2021 return in my name - blocking my legitimate filing. Need advice!

This is definitely a frustrating situation, but unfortunately not uncommon. Tax identity theft has become increasingly prevalent over the past few years. The good news is you caught this relatively early. The IRS should have provided you with Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) to complete. You'll also need to file a paper return since electronic filing won't be possible while the fraudulent return is still in the system. While the IRS quote of 6-12 months is accurate for complete resolution, there are a few things you can do: 1. File a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov - they'll create a personal recovery plan for you 2. Place a fraud alert with one of the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax) 3. Request a copy of the fraudulent return using Form 4506-F to see what information was compromised For your home purchase, you can request a tax transcript directly from the IRS which shows your filing history. Many lenders will accept this as proof that you're working to resolve a fraud issue rather than having tax problems.

After dealing with a similar nightmare last year, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) incredibly helpful for my identity theft situation. I was in the exact same position - someone tried filing in my name, and the IRS gave me the 6-12 month runaround. The taxr.ai system analyzed all my documents, identified exactly which forms I needed (beyond just the basic 14039 the IRS initially mentioned), and gave me a customized plan. They even found an IRS procedure I qualified for that expedited my case by several months because I could prove financial hardship due to my home purchase situation. What I really appreciated was they automatically generated proper formatting for all the explanatory letters I needed to include with my paper return to make sure it got processed correctly. It made a convoluted process so much clearer.

I was totally wrong about taxr.ai! I tried it after my last comment because my situation with tax ID theft was getting desperate. Within minutes, their system identified that my case qualified for expedited processing under an exception I didn't even know existed (I was facing eviction due to not having proof of income). Their document analyzer found problems with how my initial identity theft report was filed and created corrected versions with proper references to specific IRS procedures. They even generated custom cover letters citing the relevant IRS internal processing codes that apparently help route your case to the right department faster. My case was resolved in under 6 weeks instead of the 6+ months I was initially told. The detailed step-by-step instructions made the entire process so much clearer than the vague guidance I got from the IRS phone representative.

If you're struggling to get actual help from the IRS phone line like I was, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent WEEKS trying to get through to a real person at the IRS about my identity theft case. Kept getting disconnected or stuck on hold for hours only to be told to call back another day. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with was able to flag my case for expedited processing due to the hardship with my home purchase and provided specific instructions for what supporting documentation to include with my paper return. Having that direct conversation made a huge difference versus just following the generic instructions.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it. I had been trying to reach the IRS for MONTHS about my identity theft case with zero success. Claimyr connected me to an actual IRS agent in about 35 minutes. The agent I spoke with was able to look up my case and found that my identity theft affidavit had actually been misfiled. She gave me specific instructions on resubmitting with a special cover letter that referenced my case number and the department code I needed to direct it to. Without that phone call, my paperwork would have just sat in the wrong queue for who knows how long. Being able to speak directly to someone who could see what was happening with my case made all the difference. My case was resolved about 8 weeks after that call.

I had a similar situation in 2020. One thing that helped me was contacting my local Taxpayer Advocate Service office. They can sometimes intervene when there are hardships involved (like your home purchase). You'll need to complete Form 911 to request their assistance. In my case, they were able to expedite the process somewhat - it still took about 4 months total, but that was better than the year I was initially quoted. Just search "Taxpayer Advocate Service" + your city to find the local office.

Has anyone tried contacting their congressional representative's office about IRS issues? My brother had an identity theft situation last year, and after months of no progress, he contacted our senator's office. They have staff specifically for helping constituents with federal agency problems. Within a few weeks of the senator's office inquiry, the IRS suddenly became much more responsive. Might be worth a shot if other approaches aren't working quickly enough.