CP01E

A CP01E says someone appears to have used your Social Security number to get a job — employment identity theft, which is different from tax-return fraud. The IRS's page is direct about the good news: there's currently no known impact to your tax account, and an indicator now protects it.

“Your SSN showed up on a W-2 that isn't yours. Your tax account is unaffected and your refunds aren't at risk from this, but you should protect your broader financial life: check your Social Security earnings record, watch your credit, consider a fraud alert and an IP PIN. This wasn't caused by anything you did.”

No IRS response is required and taxes proceed as normal. The recommended actions — earnings-record check, credit monitoring, fraud alerts — protect against consequences outside the tax system, and sooner is better than later for those.

• The notice
• Your Social Security earnings statement, to spot wages that aren't yours
• Credit reports from all three bureaus
• A list of accounts worth putting fraud alerts on

• Correcting a polluted Social Security earnings record
• Setting up the IP PIN and monitoring the tax account going forward
• Making sure the stray W-2 wages never land on your return or bill
• Coordinating the FTC and credit-bureau steps