Updated October 19, 2026. Quick answer: Letter 4883C says the IRS received a return filed under your Social Security number or ITIN and needs you to verify your identity and the return before it will process it. Call the Taxpayer Protection Program number on the letter with the letter, the return and your supporting documents in hand. Do not file Form 14039 if you got this letter.
Quick reference
| Item | As the IRS describes it |
|---|---|
| What it is | A request to verify identity and a return filed under your SSN or ITIN |
| How | Call the Taxpayer Protection Program number on the letter |
| Do not file | Form 14039 (unless told to) |
| Not for | Refund status; the line is for verification only |
| Time to allow for an IRS reply (Tax Topic 651) | At least 30 days |
| Refund after you verify | Up to 9 weeks (63 days) |
| IP PIN Form 15227 route | Adjusted gross income below $84,000, or $168,000 married filing joint |
What the letter says
“We received a federal income tax return, Form 1040-series, filed under your Social Security number (SSN) or individual tax identification number (ITIN).” It adds “To protect you from identity theft, we need you to verify your identity and the tax return so that we can continue processing it.”
The IRS page opens with: “Don’t file Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, if you received letter 4883C”
What to do right away
“Call the Taxpayer Protection Program Hotline shown in your 4883C letter.” Have all of the following: the 4883C letter, the Form 1040-series return named in the letter (Forms W-2 and 1099 are not returns), a prior year return if you filed one, and supporting documents for each year’s return.
If you did not file: “If you didn’t file a tax return for the tax year shown on your letter, let us know immediately as you may be a victim of identity theft.”
Representatives and fiduciaries
An authorized third party can call for you if a “Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative” is on file. Without a Form 2848, you and that person must call together and you must take part in the call. A fiduciary for an individual, estate or trust sends Form 56. See Form 2848 and Form 56.
If you cannot verify by phone, and what happens after
The IRS says “We’ll ask you to schedule an appointment and bring the documents listed above to your local IRS office to verify in person.” That is the route behind Letter 5747C. Until you verify, “we won’t be able to process your tax return, issue refunds, or credit any overpayments to your account.”
After you verify, “We’ll process your tax return. It may take up to 9 weeks to receive your refund or credit any overpayment to your account.” The line is for verification only, so it will not give refund status.
Protect your number with an IP PIN
The IRS describes the protection: “An identity protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).”
If you cannot set up an online account, the IRS offers a form route with an income test: “If your adjusted gross income on your last filed return is below $84,000 for Individuals or $168,000 for married filing joint and you can’t establish an online account, you can submit Form 15227, Application for an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number online.”
Where this comes from
The IRS page read for this page is the one titled Understanding your letter 4883C on irs.gov, as served on 2026-10-19. Your own notice controls: the dates, amounts and phone or fax numbers on it are the ones to use, and the IRS can update its page after we read it.
For IRS notices in general, Tax Topic 651 says “You should allow at least 30 days for a reply from the IRS.” It also says “Keep a copy of all IRS correspondence for your tax records.”
Common mistakes
- Filing Form 14039 instead of calling. The IRS page says not to if you received this letter.
- Bringing only W-2s or 1099s. Those are not tax returns for this purpose.
- Calling the hotline for refund status. It gives verification only.
- Having a friend call for you without Form 2848. You must be on the call too.
Related: IRS Letter 5747C, IRS Letter 5071C, is this IRS letter real, and IRS notices and letters.
Sources
- IRS, Understanding your Letter 4883C (irs.gov): https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-letter-4883c
- IRS, Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) (irs.gov): https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin
- IRS, Tax Topic 651, Notices: what to do (irs.gov): https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc651
Read from the IRS pages linked above on October 19, 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice. Your own notice and facts decide the outcome, and the number printed on your notice is the right place to confirm anything consequential.