Updated October 19, 2026. Quick answer: Letter 5747C says the IRS received a return filed under your Social Security number or ITIN and you may need to visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center to verify your identity and the return. If you did file, call to schedule an in-person appointment and bring the letter, your return, supporting documents and photo ID. If you did not file, call the Taxpayer Protection Program hotline on the letter.
Quick reference
| Item | As the IRS describes it |
|---|---|
| What it is | Request to verify identity and a return, possibly in person |
| If you did file | Call the Taxpayer Assistance Center to schedule an appointment |
| If you did not file | Call the Taxpayer Protection Program hotline on the letter |
| Bring | The letter, your return, supporting documents, photo ID and one more ID |
| Do not file | Form 14039 (unless told to) |
| Time to allow for an IRS reply (Tax Topic 651) | At least 30 days |
| Processing 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 “You may need to visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center, so we can verify your identity and the tax return.”
The page opens with “Don’t file Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, if you received letter 5747C”
What to do
If you did not file: “Call the Taxpayer Protection Program hotline on your letter to tell us you didn’t file a tax return.”
If you did file: “Call our Taxpayer Assistance Center toll-free at the number on your letter to schedule an in-person appointment.” An authorized representative can come, but the IRS says “the taxpayer must be present at the appointment to authenticate their identity.”
What to bring
The tax documents: the 5747C letter, the Form 1040-series return named in the letter, a prior year return if the IRS needs more verification, and supporting documents for each year’s return (W-2, 1099, Schedule C or F).
For identity: “A valid federal or state government-issued picture identification, such as a driver’s license, state ID, or passport” plus at least one more, which the IRS lists as another government ID, a Social Security card, a mortgage statement, a lease, a car title, a voter registration card, a utility bill matching the address on the ID, a birth certificate or current school records.
If you do not hear from us
“We won’t be able to process your tax return, issue a refund, or credit any overpayments to your account.” The numbers on the letter are for verification only, and “No other tax-related information, including refund status, is available at the telephone numbers shown on your letter.”
Compare Letter 4883C, which uses a phone verification instead, and Letter 5071C, which offers an online route.
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 5747C 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
- Showing up without the letter and the return. The IRS lists both.
- Sending a representative alone. The taxpayer must be at the appointment.
- Filing Form 14039. The page says not to if you got this letter.
- Calling the verification number for refund status.
Related: IRS Letter 4883C, IRS Letter 5071C, is this IRS letter real, and IRS notices and letters.
Sources
- IRS, Understanding your Letter 5747C (irs.gov): https://www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-letter-5747c
- 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.