Letter 5747C

A 5747C letter is the in-person tier of identity verification: a return was filed under your number, and the IRS wants you at a Taxpayer Assistance Center with documents before it processes anything. Like its siblings, the IRS says not to file an identity theft affidavit — the appointment is the process.

“If you didn't file the return, just call the hotline and say so. If you did, schedule an in-person appointment, and bring this letter, the return, a photo ID, and a second identifying document from our list. Until then we can't process the return or issue a refund.”

The pace is set by appointment availability, which argues for scheduling early. The document list is specific — two forms of ID, one with a photo — and arriving incomplete means rescheduling, not improvising.

• The 5747C letter
• The tax return referenced, plus a prior-year return if available
• Government photo ID plus one more listed document — Social Security card, mortgage statement, lease, car title, utility bill, or similar
• Supporting documents for the returns

• Assembling the exact ID combination the appointment requires
• Attending with you as authorized representative — though you must be present to authenticate
• The didn't-file call when the return is fraudulent
• Post-verification follow-through on the refund