Was Your Tax Return Rejected as a Duplicate Filing? Take These Steps Right Now

At this point, there's really not much time to get your taxes submitted ahead of the April 15 filing deadline. But what if you just finished your tax return, hit "submit" in your tax software, and got a notice of rejection due to a duplicate filing?

Frankly, that's not a good situation, and there's really no way to sugarcoat that.

See, there are different reasons your tax return can get rejected. One is if you enter the wrong Social Security number, for example. But if you know you entered the right Social Security number, and your return is rejected due to the IRS already having a return on record for you this year, then it most likely means that someone has stolen your identity, filed taxes in your name, and diverted your refund to their bank account.

It's natural to panic in this situation. But a better bet is to take actionable steps to protect yourself from this point onward. Here's what to do.

Step 1: Check your existing accounts for fraudulent activity

Once you learn you've most likely fallen victim to identity theft, you'll want to log into your bank account and credit card accounts to see if there are charges or withdrawals you don't recognize. If you see any, contact your bank or credit card issuer at once to file a dispute and explain the situation.

If there is fraudulent activity on your credit card account, your current credit card will probably be canceled, and you'll be issued a new one. You may not necessarily have your bank account closed, but you'll probably be told to change your account password and set up some sort of added protection like two-factor authentication, where you need to confirm each login with a code that's sent to your cellphone or email.

Step 2: Check your credit reports

Once you've reviewed your existing accounts, you'll want to check your credit report for new accounts in your name that you don't recognize. You're entitled to a free copy of your credit report every week from each of the bureaus -- Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, and you can access yours here.

Specifically, you'll want to go to the section with open accounts to make sure all of your loans and credit accounts are ones you opened yourself. You should also check the hard inquiries section of your credit report to see if anyone has recently tried to open an account in your name. If you see an inquiry with no open account, it could be that the account is being reviewed before being opened -- so contact the bank or credit card issuer in question and explain that it's not legitimate.

Step 3: Freeze your credit

Freezing your credit will make it so that a criminal cannot open new accounts in your name. You can freeze your credit by creating an account with each credit bureau and following the instructions they give you. Rest assured that you'll have the option to temporarily remove your credit freeze should you decide you want to apply for a loan or credit card.

Step 4: Report your identity theft to the IRS

You'll need to make the IRS aware that your identity has been stolen and that a fraudulent return has been filed using your Social Security number. To that end, you'll have to fill out an Identity Theft Affidavit and follow the instructions to submit to the IRS. You can also contact the IRS for assistance at 800-908-4490.

Finding out that your identity has been stolen can be a scary and upsetting thing. But now that you know how to deal with it, you can take action to protect yourself from this point forward and work with the appropriate agencies to minimize the damage.