IRS Notice 1452 is an identity verification letter: the IRS’s fraud-detection systems flagged a return filed under your Social Security number, and processing is paused until you confirm the return is really yours. Read the notice carefully and follow the exact instructions printed on it, because the verification method (online, phone, or in person) depends on the specific letter you received. Once you verify successfully, allow up to nine weeks for the IRS to finish processing the return.1Internal Revenue Service. Verify Your Return
Confirm the Letter Actually Came From the IRS
Scammers send fake IRS notices to harvest personal information, so verify the letter is real before responding to anything on it. A legitimate IRS notice arrives by U.S. mail, never by email, text, or social media, and it carries a notice or letter number, a tax year, and a specific IRS phone number or website for your response.
Log into your IRS Online Account at irs.gov to check whether the notice appears there. If it doesn’t show up and something feels off, call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 rather than any number printed on the questionable letter.2Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter Don’t click links or dial numbers from a notice you haven’t confirmed.
Why You Received It
The IRS scans every filed return for signs of fraud. When something on a return doesn’t match your filing history, the return is held and a verification letter goes out instead of a refund heading to a possible thief.3Internal Revenue Service. The IRS Alerts Taxpayers of Suspected Identity Theft by Letter
Common triggers include a refund amount that looks unusual compared with prior years, a new mailing address, a switch between paper and electronic filing, or multiple returns filed under the same SSN in a short window. Conflicting dependent claims (two filers listing the same child) will also trip a hold. Returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit sometimes draw extra scrutiny when the supporting income data looks inconsistent.
None of this means the IRS thinks you did something wrong. The notice is a security check, not an audit or an accusation.
What to Have in Front of You Before You Respond
The same core documents work for every verification method, and gathering them first prevents failed attempts:
- The notice itself, for any reference numbers and contact details
- The Form 1040 (or 1040-SR) for the tax year on the notice
- A prior-year return if you filed one, since verification questions often draw from it
- Supporting income documents: W-2s, 1099s, and any Schedules C or F used to prepare the return
If you used tax software, prior returns and income forms are usually available through the same portal. If you used a paid preparer, ask them for copies.4Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP5071 Series Notice
How to Verify Your Identity
Your notice tells you which methods are available. Not every identity letter offers all three, so follow what your specific notice says.
Online
If your notice directs you online, go to irs.gov/verifyreturn. That is the only legitimate URL for the IRS identity verification tool. The system asks you to confirm information drawn from your current and prior-year returns, such as filing status, adjusted gross income, and specific line-item amounts. Answering correctly usually releases the hold right away.1Internal Revenue Service. Verify Your Return
Online is the fastest option and runs around the clock, so try it first if it’s offered. If you fail the questions, the system will point you to the phone route.
By Phone
Call the specific phone number printed on your notice. A generic IRS helpline can’t resolve an identity verification hold. Have your documents in front of you before dialing, because the agent will ask detailed questions about the return, including specific income amounts, deductions, or your prior-year AGI.5Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Letter 4883C
Hold times are long during peak filing season (February through April). Early morning or later in the week tends to be shorter. If the phone agent can’t verify you, they’ll ask you to schedule an in-person appointment.
In Person
Some notices require a visit to a Taxpayer Assistance Center, and in-person verification is the fallback whenever online and phone attempts fail. Find your nearest office through the locator on irs.gov and call ahead to book an appointment.6Internal Revenue Service. Taxpayer Assistance Center Office Locator
Bring a government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport) along with the tax documents above. Some offices also ask for a secondary form of identification such as a Social Security card, birth certificate, or a recent utility bill.7Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Letter 6483C If the agent is satisfied, the hold is cleared manually. After any successful verification, allow up to nine weeks for the return to finish processing.8Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your Letter 5747C
If You Did Not File the Return
Here the situation shifts from inconvenience to real identity theft, and speed matters. Do two things.
First, call the Taxpayer Protection Program number on your notice and tell the agent you did not file the return. The IRS will flag the fraudulent filing and open an investigation. Do not verify the return as yours, and do not use the online tool to confirm a return you didn’t file.
Second, file Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. You can submit it online through IdentityTheft.gov (which sends it electronically to the IRS) or mail or fax the paper version. Only file Form 14039 if you’re an actual victim of tax-related identity theft and the IRS hasn’t already told you a marker has been placed on your account.9Internal Revenue Service. When to File an Identity Theft Affidavit
Once the IRS confirms you were a victim, it generally places an identity theft marker on your account and issues an Identity Protection PIN each year going forward. If you can’t e-file because of the duplicate SSN, file your legitimate return on paper. Identity theft cases can take several months to resolve, so keep copies of everything you submit.
What Happens If You Ignore the Notice
Ignoring the letter doesn’t make it go away. The IRS won’t process the return or release any refund until you verify. Your notice includes a response deadline; missing it complicates things but doesn’t lock you out, and you can still respond later by calling the number on the notice.
The bigger risk is the refund statute of limitations. You have three years from the date you filed the return, or two years from the date you paid the tax (whichever is later), to claim a refund.10eCFR. 26 CFR 301.6511(a)-1 – Period of Limitation on Filing Claim Let an identity verification hold sit long enough and a refund you were entitled to can disappear for good.11Internal Revenue Service. Time You Can Claim a Credit or Refund
Silence doesn’t erase a balance due either. If the return shows tax owed, interest and penalties keep running while the hold is in place. The IRS treats the filing as incomplete, which means no refund, no credit application, and no account resolution downstream.
Preventing a Repeat With an IP PIN
After you’ve cleared the notice, request an Identity Protection PIN so this doesn’t happen again. An IP PIN is a six-digit number the IRS requires on your return before it will accept the filing. Without the correct PIN, no one can file a return under your SSN.12Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
Anyone with an SSN or ITIN can request one. The fastest route is through your IRS Online Account. If you can’t create an online account, you can file Form 15227 by mail if your AGI on your most recent return was below $84,000 ($168,000 for married filing jointly), or visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center in person.12Internal Revenue Service. Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
A new PIN is generated each year and is typically available in your online account from mid-January through mid-November. Put it on every federal return you file, including amended and prior-year returns. Parents and legal guardians can also request IP PINs for their dependents.