The short answer
Letter 5071C means the IRS received a tax return with your name and Social Security number (or ITIN) and wants to confirm you filed it before processing it. Once you know it is real, verify online at IRS.gov or call the number on the letter within 30 days of its date. If you did not file, say so.
Is this letter real?
This letter is a favorite target for imitation, because it asks you to prove who you are. A real one is safe to act on. A fake one wants your personal details. Here is how to tell.
- It arrives by U.S. mail. The IRS says a letter or notice is the first way it contacts a taxpayer, that it does not make initial contact by email or social media, and that it sends text messages only with the taxpayer’s permission (IRS Tax Tip 2025-46). An email or text “5071C” with a link is not how the IRS does this.
- Verification happens on IRS.gov. The IRS says that if your notice offers online verification, you begin at irs.gov/verifyreturn (IRS). Type that address into your browser yourself. Do not scan a QR code or click a link from a message.
- Check your IRS Online Account. Sign in at irs.gov/account and see whether the letter is in your file, a check the IRS suggests.
- It asks you to verify, not to pay. Nothing in the IRS’s description of this letter involves paying anything, so a demand for money is a red flag. The IRS also says it will never ask for payment by gift card or prepaid card.
- If you are unsure, call the IRS at 800-829-1040, a number listed on IRS.gov, and ask whether the letter is genuine before using the phone number printed on it.
Suspicious emails go to phishing@irs.gov. For a suspicious text, send the details to phishing@irs.gov with the subject line “Text”, and forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block similar messages. Suspicious calls can be reported to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484 (IRS phishing page).
What the letter says, section by section
The IRS groups Letter 5071C with the CP5071 series of notices, and the Taxpayer Advocate Service says the versions follow the same process. Expect these parts:
- Letter number and date. “5071C” appears in the right corner, which is where the IRS says to look for a letter number. The date matters: TAS says to call the identity verification number “within 30 days from the date of this letter.”
- Tax year. The year of the return the IRS is holding. Have that return handy, because you will be asked about it.
- Why the IRS wrote. A federal income tax return (a Form 1040 series return) was filed under your SSN or ITIN, and the IRS needs to verify your identity before it processes the return, issues a refund, or applies an overpayment to next year’s estimated tax.
- How to verify. Online instructions (irs.gov/verifyreturn) and a toll-free identity verification phone number. TAS notes that this number handles identity verification only, so it cannot tell you your refund status.
- What to have ready. The letter, the return for the year shown, and supporting documents.
The IRS describes this letter as a verification request, not a bill. If yours demands a payment, look closer and check your Online Account.
What to do next
- Gather your documents before you start. The IRS and TAS list:
- The 5071C letter itself.
- Your Form 1040 series return for the year on the letter (original or amended). TAS points out that a W-2 or 1099 is not a tax return. If you cannot find your return, the IRS suggests checking your tax software or asking your preparer.
- Supporting documents for that return, such as W-2s, 1099s, or Schedules C or F.
- A prior-year return, if you have one, with its supporting documents.
- Verify online if you can. Go to irs.gov/verifyreturn. You will sign in to or create an IRS account and answer questions about yourself and the return. TAS says new users need a valid government-issued photo ID, and the online service is available 24 hours a day. Answer the return questions too: TAS says the IRS cannot process the return until you do, even after your identity is verified.
- Or call the number on the letter. Do this within 30 days of the letter date, once you are confident the letter is real. If the IRS cannot verify you by phone, it may ask you to visit a local IRS office. TAS lists 844-545-5640 for scheduling that in-person appointment. Bring the same documents.
- If you did not file a return, tell the IRS right away. Use the same online service or phone line. The IRS says you may be a victim of identity theft. It also says you do not need to file Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) after verifying unless the IRS tells you to. To block future fake returns, consider getting an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN), a six-digit code that keeps anyone else from filing a return under your SSN or ITIN.
- Wait for processing. The IRS says it may take up to 9 weeks to process your return after you verify, and suggests waiting 2 to 3 weeks before checking your refund status. Other issues on the return can lead to another notice and more delay.
What happens if you do nothing? The return stays on hold. TAS says the IRS needs to verify your identity before it processes the return, issues a refund, or applies an overpayment. If you never filed and someone else did, ignoring the letter leaves that fraudulent return unaddressed in your name.
If a representative is helping you: TAS says someone can help, but you generally need to be on the phone or at the in-person appointment too. A representative can call on your behalf only if the IRS has a Form 2848 (Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative) on file for them.
Common mistakes
- Emailing or texting your personal details to someone claiming to be the IRS. Use the official online service or the phone line the IRS describes.
- Clicking a link in a text or email that claims to be from the IRS. Type irs.gov/verifyreturn yourself.
- Using a W-2 instead of your return. You will be asked about the return itself, so have the Form 1040.
- Verifying your identity but skipping the return questions. The return stays stuck until you answer them.
- Calling the 5071C line about your refund. It handles identity verification only.
- Ignoring it because you did not file. That is exactly when you should respond.
Where to get free help
- Taxpayer Advocate Service: Free help if your refund is stuck and causing financial hardship, or normal channels have not worked. Call 877-777-4778 or visit taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov. TAS also points to IRS Publication 5027 for identity theft information.
- Low Income Taxpayer Clinics: Free or low-cost help for eligible people with IRS problems. Find one through the LITC finder.
- Your local IRS office: If you are asked to verify in person, call 844-545-5640 to schedule.
How Plainly helps
A 5071C is short, but it raises big questions: is this real, what do they need, and what happens to my refund? Plainly turns it into plain English, quickly. Take a photo of your 5071C (up to five pages) and Plainly tells you:
- What it is: which tax return the IRS wants to confirm you filed.
- What it wants from you: how the letter says to verify your identity.
- Your deadline and how urgent it is: any date printed on the letter.
- The numbers that matter: the tax year and form the letter names.
- Anything that looks off: possible scam signals worth checking before you pay or call anyone.
- What it could not read: parts of your photo that were not clear, so you know what to double-check.
You can listen to the explanation read aloud, share it with someone who helps you, and find it later in My Scans on your device. It works on the web, iOS, and Android, needs no account, and Plainly does not store your photos.
Plainly can make mistakes, so check dates and amounts against your letter before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Is IRS Letter 5071C a scam?
Letter 5071C is a real IRS letter, but scammers copy it. A genuine one arrives by mail, sends you to irs.gov/verifyreturn, and asks for no payment. Check your IRS Online Account or call 800-829-1040 if you are unsure.
How long do I have to respond to a 5071C?
The Taxpayer Advocate Service says to call the identity verification number on the letter within 30 days of the letter date. Online verification is available 24 hours a day. Your return will not be processed until you verify.
How long after verifying will I get my refund?
The IRS says processing can take up to 9 weeks after you verify. It suggests waiting 2 to 3 weeks before checking your refund status.
What if I did not file a tax return?
Tell the IRS through the same online service or phone number. You may be a victim of identity theft. The IRS recommends getting an Identity Protection PIN to help prevent future fraudulent returns.
Can I verify in person?
If the IRS cannot verify you by phone, it may ask you to make an appointment at a local IRS office. Call 844-545-5640 to schedule, and bring your letter and tax documents.
Plainly explains documents in plain language. It is not legal, tax, medical, or financial advice. Always check important dates, amounts, and contact details against the original letter.