Adjusted Gross Income or IRS PIN
I have received a lot of comments from my readers because their electronically filed tax returns are being rejected due to an incorrect adjusted gross income or AGI. They don’t know their correct AGI because they were victims of identity theft last year and the AGI the IRS is looking for is the adjusted gross income that the thief submitted (go figure!).
One would think that the IRS would not expect a person to submit information they have no possible way of having access to – but that would be, as my mother would say, too much like right.
Nevertheless, it seems there are some options so keep hope alive! You can call the IRS and beg them to give you the AGI that the thief reported OR you have the option of obtaining an IRS PIN. There are two options for obtaining this PIN and all of this information is copied directly from the IRS.gov website:
- Visit the Electronic Filing Pin-Help
- Call 1-866-704-7388.
To be eligible to use these two options you (or I guess “the thief”) must have:
- Filed a 2011 Form 1040, Form 1040-A, Form 1040-EZ or Form 1040-SS (PR); and
- Your return was processed by November 30, 2012.
And you must have:
- Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number;
- First and Last Name;
- Date of Birth;
- Filing Status; and
- Complete mailing address as it appeared on your 2011 tax return.
How in the hell someone finds out what form their tax return thief chose or what address they used is beyond my bag of tricks. I would take a chance and assume I fit the eligibility requirements and either file for the PIN electronically or call them.
You are probably going to need to call them due to their ridiculous stipulations. If you cannot get the IRS PIN then you should definitely ask the IRS representative if they would be able to give you the AGI submitted by the idiot who stole your identity – a few of my readers were able to get the IRS to give up the AGI submitted by their thief.
I hesitate to say, “If all else fails, file by mail”, because I can just imagine filing by mail and waiting two to three months for the IRS to send you a letter (by mail) telling you that your return was rejected for the same “adjusted gross income” situation.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
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This is ridiculous. I would not play the game of using the crook’s AGI. This could come back to haunt you years later. Just file by snail mail. Of course I always make sure the IRS does not owe me a refund. Trying to get a refund out of the would be too much to bear.
Hello Ken, I agree, it is ridiculous. And making sure they don’t owe you a refund is another way to nip it all in the bud. Thanks for writing!
Same thing here. The IRS told me to e-file to get there before the thief tried again. Then it was rejected for wrong AGI. Fortunately, the 5-digit PIN worked. I think the “Sheila” who filed as me last year is really the bearded “This is Peggy, how may I help you?” guy from the Discover commercial.
Thanks for this thread. After refiling 2011 on paper and responding to the IRS bill based on my real W-2 not being reported, I was ready to start throwing things when my 2012 filing was rejected. You all have saved a few lamps and coffee cups from ending up in the trash.
Sheila, You missed you’re calling. You should be a comedian. Thanks for your comment and I’m glad I was able to save some lamps!
Angela,
I understand it takes longer to receive your refund the year or years after identity theft. This really doesn’t seem fair. Do you know the average time it should take?
Eclipse, Should and does are definitely two different things. It shouldn’t take them long at all, but it does take them anywhere from 6 months to a year.
I was able to get my tax advocate assigned last year and she said my refund is to be deposited on Wed.3/27. I am so excited!! I asked her how she knew and she said she had “special powers”.
I have been trying to file for six days. No one at the IRS knows what their doing. The first woman told me put in my 6 digit pin and use the thiefs agi. went to file and the signature won’t take anything without the five digit pin which of course I can’t get. The second one said use my six digit pin and use my agi, but again no five digit pin to file. The third says don’t use the six digit assigned pin because i am the secondary taxpayer. Only primary uses pin and of course he can’t get one. again no five digit pin to efile at end. I have no clue who can help me. This is the first site I have been given any hope. Can you help me? If i’m using AGI, who’s do I use, Why am i getting this five digit pin page when using AGI and is there any way not to get this page? Tried contacting Turbotax but of course they would only take email. I have sent many over the past few days, no replies yet. HELP!
Hello Gloria, This is the first time I’ve received a comment or message from you. To answer your question – Which AGI to use depends on whether you are applying alone or with your husband. If his tax return was stolen then you would need to use the AGI that the thief used and you would need to get that from the IRS. From what I understand it is an either/or situation. You use either the PIN (that is associated with your social security number) or if that doesn’t work then you use the thief’s AGI from last year. If all else fails contact your Taxpayer Advocate here: http://www.irs.gov/advocate. Or you can contact them by phone using this toll-free line at 1-877-777-4778. According to their website it says, “Ask an IRS employee (in person or over the phone) to complete the “Form 911″ on your behalf. This form: Form 911, Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance (And Application for Taxpayer Assistance Order), is available by phone at 1-800-829-3676, or on http://www.irs.gov. I hope this helps you!
Angela I am waiting to see if my tax refund will be sent. Falcons, I am glad you found the crooks AGI. Really doesn’t seem right at all what we are having to do to efile after going through so much last year. I found out after from the Tax Advocate that more of my info was sent to the crook last year and that is why my refund took even longer. Seems the IRS was looking back at my taxes and had questions about my kids college and a stock account and sent the forms to the crook!!! The IRS was trying to say I owed them money. I didn’t owe them but had to get my HR block person write them a nice letter.
I usually use HR block online and go into the office to have them check it. Last year I used Turbo for the first time and had the identity theft.Coincidence?
Eclipse, Yeah, you never know for sure if its a coincidence or if its just related to the fact that so many people used TurboTax last year. One thing that surely isn’t a coincidence is that everyone is being hit with identity theft these days. Hopefully the government will come up with a much better system for dealing with the aftermath of this. It would really be lovely if all the agencies involved in the security of our personal information and credit records would just fix the crap once they have validated the theft of someone’s identity. I also got a letter saying I owed them (the IRS) money and they were going to take my house. This is right after my return was stolen and after I finally received my stolen refund. When I called them about it they told me it was a computer error and to disregard the letter (that was after I damn near had a heart attack after reading their notice). I told them that I needed, in writing, them saying I didn’t owe them anything, and they sent me a letter stating that I was not in arrears for anything. Its all just one humongous headache! Thanks for writing!
Called irs earlier was told to put in nothing under agi that did not work.
It took the crooks agi! I can’t believe this! Something is terribly wrong with their tax program.
Eclipse, I’m glad to hear their system finally took the AGI you submitted. Keep us posted as to whether your refund comes through and how long it takes. Thanks!
We identity theft last year. Same problem of not being able to file due to agi wrong. Called my tax payer advocate she gave me the crooks agi. Waiting to see if it works.
Hi eclipse,
Same thing happened to me. I even received the six digit pin to verify my identity. I’ve been working on this since yesterday and I’ve been getting rejected, who is the tax payer advocate who gave the agi of the crook. I’m still waiting on my check from last year, I dont want to have to mail this one too. Thanks.
Falcons, sorry to hear about your PIN not working. It seems this is an ongoing problem for nearly everyone in this situation. Here is a link to how you get in touch with a Tax Pay Advocate. I definitely hope this helps!
Angela you’re the best! I thought I was the only one going through this until I came across your website. Well, I went to the IRS office on today and of course I received a lot of attitude and no help. Thanks God, the Tax Pay Advocate was in the same building upstairs. I walked right up to the 5th floor and spoke to someone and they informed me that someone would contact me in three days. I also called the IRS and they gave me the crooks agi and my return was accepted. Thanks for the information, if it wasn’t for your site, I don’t know what I would’ve done!!! Thanks again
Falcons, You are SOoooo welcome! I am so glad to hear that I was able to help you with your situation. Good luck with everything!