Understanding Your Letter 4281C

What this letter is about

You received Letter 4281C because you may be impacted by an IRS data loss, theft, or inadvertent unauthorized disclosure of personally identifiable information, or your personal information was intentionally accessed or disclosed without authorization. If your personal information was intentionally accessed or disclosed without authorization, your letter also includes your rights under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 7431 as well as Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) information.

You may want to

• Sign up to receive the free identity protection service from the company identified in the letter. If you’re eligible for the free identity protection service, your letter will include instructions and an enrollment code. You must contact the company within 90 days from the date of the letter to enroll.

• Get an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) to use on your future tax returns. The letter will instruct you to either request an IP PIN using the online Get an IP PIN tool, or follow the instructions to file an application for an IP PIN PDF or request in-person authentication. Please note spouses and dependents are eligible for an IP PIN if they can pass the identity proofing process. 
• Place a fraud alert on your credit file by contacting one of the following credit reporting agencies. You only need to contact one of them. The agency you contact will notify the other two.

• Find out if a credit file exists for your minor child if we advised you that we lost or disclosed your dependent child’s personal information. If you want to know if a credit file exists for your minor child (under 18 years of age) or if your child’s identity may have been misused, you can contact one of the three credit reporting agencies listed above. 

Frequently asked questions

What do I do if I have trouble enrolling or if I'm told my enrollment code is invalid?

Call the telephone number in your letter, 866-225-2009 (or +267-466-0777, for international callers), to speak to an IRS representative.

Can my power of attorney (POA) contact the IRS about this data loss, theft, or disclosure?

Yes. When filling out Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative PDF, you must specify “IRS breach,” “IRS data loss,” or “IRS information loss” on line 3 as the “Description of Matter.” If you don’t, we can’t discuss this matter with your POA.

Helpful information

• Publication 5027, Identity Theft Information for Taxpayers PDF
• Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit PDF
• Identity Theft Central
• Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Consumer Information