Fax Form 14039, the IRS Identity Theft Affidavit
Fax Form 14039, the IRS Identity Theft Affidavit, to 855-807-5720 with a cover sheet marked “Confidential”. If you are answering an IRS notice or letter that shows its own fax number, use that number instead. Submit the form one way only, online, by mail or by fax, and never send a tax return to this number. The IRS replies by letter.
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How to fax Form 14039
- 01
Check that it fits your case
The form is for a return filed with your SSN or ITIN, you or a dependent wrongly claimed, or your number used for work.
- 02
Fill in, sign and date
Section E is signed under penalty of perjury. Someone signing for you fills in Section F and attaches proof they can.
- 03
Add a Confidential cover sheet
The IRS asks for a cover sheet marked “Confidential”. Make one with the free cover sheet maker, or switch on the cover page in the sender.
- 04
Fax once, keep the receipt
Send it to 855-807-5720, or to the number on your IRS letter, and keep FaxJet’s receipt.
At a glance
- Fax number
- 855-807-5720
- Answering an IRS letter
- The fax number on that letter
- Cover sheet
- Required, marked “Confidential”
- Reply
- By letter from the IRS
- FaxJet price
- $2.99 up to 10 pages
The cover sheet and the receipt
Where to send Form 14039
Choose one way to submit it. If you fax, the number depends on whether you are answering an IRS notice.
| Your situation | Send it to |
|---|---|
| Answering an IRS notice or letter that shows a fax number | That fax number |
| Answering an IRS notice or letter without a fax number | The mailing address on the notice |
| Everyone else | Fax 855-807-5720, or mail to Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA 93725 |
From Form 14039 (Rev. 2-2026), page 2, checked on irs.gov on October 10, 2026.
The Confidential cover sheet
The IRS asks you to always include a cover sheet marked “Confidential” when you fax Form 14039. Use FaxJet’s free fax cover sheet maker: put “Confidential” in the subject, the IRS as the recipient, your name and phone as the sender, and the page count.
Leave your SSN off the cover sheet; it is already on the form.
Mistakes to avoid
From the form and the IRS’s identity theft pages:
- Filing again for the same incident.
- Sending the form more than one way, like by fax and by mail.
- Sending an original tax return to the affidavit’s fax number or address.
- Filing when none of the three situations applies to you.
- Filing after Letter 5071C, 4883C or 5747C instead of following the letter.
Your documents after sending
Form 14039 carries your SSN, your address and the details of the theft. The upload to FaxJet is encrypted; the fax itself, like every fax, travels over the phone network to the IRS machine. FaxJet keeps your document until you delete it, so once the receipt shows the fax was delivered, delete it from the tracking page.
Questions
Should I file Form 14039 or report to the FTC?
Form 14039 is for tax identity theft: a return filed with your number, you or a dependent wrongly claimed, or your number used for a job. For other identity theft, the IRS sends you to IdentityTheft.gov.
I got Letter 5071C, 4883C or 5747C. Do I file it?
No. The IRS says to follow the instructions in that letter instead of filing Form 14039.
Can I send my tax return to the same number?
No. The IRS says not to use this fax number to file an original tax return.
How will the IRS reply?
By letter, once the case is resolved; it doesn’t reply by fax, so you don’t need a return fax number. Confirmed victims are placed in the IP PIN program.
How long does it take?
The IRS says it generally resolves cases within 120 days and that many take longer; its identity theft pages show the current times.
Can I file it online instead?
Yes, online is the IRS’s preferred way, but it doesn’t take attachments. If you need to attach documents, fax or mail it.