Letter 6167C: Verify Your Identity to Process Your Return

Why you might get this

• A federal income tax return was filed using your name and taxpayer ID number (your Social Security number or similar ID).
• The IRS wants to verify your identity before it processes that return.
• Someone may have filed a return using your information without your permission, which the IRS wants to rule out.

The deadline

Call the Taxpayer Assistance Center at the number on your letter as soon as you can. If you're outside the country, mail your response with the requested documents by the timing described on your letter. Acting promptly keeps your return moving; the IRS holds processing until you verify who you are.

This notice doesn't carry a fixed response deadline, but it still deserves attention — see what to do below.

What to do

1. Call the toll-free Taxpayer Assistance Center number printed on your letter to set up your identity verification.
2. If you live outside the U.S., mail your response with the requested information by the timing shown on your letter.
3. Gather what to bring: the 6167C letter itself, the tax return named in the letter, and a return from a different prior year (a W-2 or 1099 does not count as a return).
4. Bring supporting documents you filed with each return, such as W-2s, 1099s, and Schedules C or F.
5. Bring one valid U.S. federal or state government photo ID (driver's license, state ID, or passport).
6. Bring at least one more ID from the accepted list, such as a Social Security card, mortgage statement, lease, car title, voter registration card, utility bill, birth certificate, or current school records.
7. If you did NOT file this return, fill out and sign Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) and send it to the IRS.
8. Consider reviewing the letter with your tax preparer, and contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service if you're facing economic hardship.

What happens if you ignore it

If you don't respond, the IRS may not be able to process your return, send any refund you're owed, or apply an overpayment toward next year's estimated tax.

If you can't resolve this on your own or you're facing economic hardship, contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service (an independent organization within the IRS) at 877-777-4778, or TTY/TTD 800-829-4059. You can also authorize someone to contact the IRS for you or check whether you qualify for a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.

What Letter 6167C Means

Getting Letter 6167C isn't a penalty or a bill — it's an identity check. The IRS received a federal income tax return filed under your name and taxpayer ID number, and before it finishes processing that return, it wants to make sure the return really came from you.

To clear this up, call the Taxpayer Assistance Center at the toll-free number printed on your letter. You'll likely set up an appointment where you bring the 6167C letter, the tax return named in it, a return from a different year, and your supporting documents like W-2s and 1099s. You'll also need a government-issued photo ID plus at least one more accepted form of identification.

If you never filed this return, someone may have used your information. In that case, complete and sign Form 14039 (Identity Theft Affidavit) and send it in. After you verify, processing usually takes about nine weeks.

Ignoring the letter can stall your return and hold up any refund. It's worth acting soon and keeping copies of everything.

Solace can watch your IRS account and let you know when things move, so you're not left guessing.