Your fees could be delayed
In order to fight identity theft and fraud, the IRS may require additional information as part of the Taxpayer Protection Program. Failure to provide this information may result in the IRS flipping the taxpayer's disbursement to an IRS-mailed check.
In these situations, we do not receive your client's refund, so we can't collect your fees, and your client may wait weeks to receive a check from the IRS.
How to assist clients with 5071c letters
Proactively reaching out to clients with 5071c letters will help you provide an extra level of service and a positive customer experience. Also, take into account that a high rate of non-responses has a negative effect on the registered EFIN, so it's extremely important for your clients to contact the IRS. Because people who call the IRS have more success verifying their identity than those who do it online, we strongly recommend for people to call instead of doing it online.
The IRS toll-free number for ID Verify is 1-800-830-5084
To expedite the call, your client will need the following:
The 5071C letter and the income tax return (form 1040, 1040-PR, 1040-PR, 1040-NR, etc.) for the year shown in the letter
Any prior year income tax return (form 1040, 1040-PR, 1040-NR, etc.)
Any supporting W-2’s, 1099’s, Schedule C, Schedule F, etc (A Form W-2 or 1099 is not an income tax return)
Account and Routing Information
You or your client may also be asked to confirm the Routing Transit Number (RTN) and Deposit Account Number (DAN) listed on the return.
Clients who requested a Refund Transfer or applied for a NOW Advance will need to provide the assigned routing and account number. All Refundo customers are assigned the same routing number, which is 083008469 and a unique account number that begins with 1044.
Here are the steps to locate this information:
Log into the Refundo Dashboard
Click bank apps on the left hand panel
Select your client
The account and routing number will appear on the top of the page (reference the image below)
Contacting the IRS about a client
If you are contacting the IRS on behalf of a client, the IRS will only speak with you after verifying several pieces of information including a signed Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) or signed Form 2848 (Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative). You may also be asked to provide your client's IP PIN as noted above.
Audit Pros
We understand this process can be both confusing and frustrating for your client, and since you're in the middle of tax season, we want to make sure your clients get the help they need.
For more help, please contact our Audit Pros team at (908) 445-5544 and they will be to explain the process and the necessary steps to make sure you verify your identity with the IRS properly.