How to Verify Your Tax Professional Actually Filed Your Returns

Why verification matters

When you hire a tax professional—whether a CPA, enrolled agent, tax preparer, or tax relief company—you're trusting them to file returns, negotiate with the IRS, or resolve outstanding tax issues. But trust is not verification. The only way to know what actually happened is to check IRS records.

Every year, thousands of taxpayers discover that work they paid for was never completed. Returns that were "filed" never reached the IRS. Payments that were "made" were never recorded. Negotiations that were "resolved" left balances untouched. The IRS doesn't know what you were promised—it only knows what it received.

Independent verification means checking IRS records directly—not relying on what your professional tells you, not accepting a copy of a prepared return as proof of filing, and not assuming that silence means everything is fine.

What your tax professional should have done

Depending on what you hired them for, a competent tax professional should have completed specific, verifiable actions:

If hired to file returns:

• Prepared the return using your financial information
• Submitted the return to the IRS (via e-file or mail)
• Received confirmation of IRS acceptance (e-file) or sent via certified mail
• Provided you with a copy of the filed return and confirmation of filing

If hired for tax relief or resolution:

• Obtained your IRS transcripts and reviewed your account
• Filed any required unfiled returns
• Submitted offers, agreements, or petitions to the IRS
• Received IRS acknowledgment or response to submissions
• Provided you with documentation of all IRS correspondence

Each of these actions creates a paper trail in IRS records. If the work was done, the evidence exists. If IRS records show nothing, the work wasn't completed—regardless of what you were told.

How to check IRS records yourself

You have the right to access your own IRS records. There are three primary methods:

Option 1: IRS Online Account (fastest)

• Go to IRS.gov/account
• Create or sign in to your IRS online account
• View your tax records, balances, and payment history
• Request Account Transcripts for specific tax years

Option 2: Get Transcript Online

• Go to IRS.gov/transcript
• Verify your identity through the IRS authentication process
• Select "Account Transcript" for the tax years in question
• View or download transcripts immediately

Option 3: Request by mail (Form 4506-T)

• Complete IRS Form 4506-T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return)
• Mail or fax to the IRS
• Allow 5-10 business days for delivery
• Request transcripts for each year you need to verify

What IRS transcripts reveal

Your IRS Account Transcript is the definitive record of your tax account. For verification purposes, focus on these key elements:

The critical point: If your tax professional said they filed a return but the transcript shows no return filed, the return was not received by the IRS. The transcript is the truth—not what you were told.

Red flags that work wasn't completed

These warning signs suggest your tax professional may not have completed the work you paid for:

• You're still receiving IRS notices — If the issue was resolved, notices would stop. Continued notices mean the IRS still shows an unresolved issue.
• You can't get a clear answer — Vague responses like "it's in process" or "the IRS is slow" without documentation are red flags.
• No IRS correspondence provided — A legitimate professional should provide copies of all IRS letters, confirmations, and responses.
• They gave you a copy of your return but no filing confirmation — A prepared return is not a filed return. Filing requires IRS acceptance.
• They won't give you your IRS transcripts — If they pulled your transcripts and won't share them, that's a serious concern.
• Your IRS online account still shows a balance — If the balance was supposedly resolved but IRS.gov still shows it, the issue is not resolved.
• Months have passed with no updates — Most IRS actions generate correspondence within 30-60 days. Extended silence without documentation is a warning sign.

What counts as proof of filing

There are only a few documents that constitute legitimate proof that a return was filed with the IRS:

• IRS Account Transcript showing a return received with a filing date — This is the definitive proof. The IRS recorded the return.
• IRS e-file acceptance confirmation — A Submission ID and acceptance date from the IRS e-file system confirms electronic filing.
• Certified mail receipt — USPS certified mail receipt with tracking showing delivery to an IRS processing center (for paper-filed returns).
• IRS acknowledgment letter — Official IRS correspondence confirming receipt of a return or submission.

What doesn't count as proof

These are commonly presented as "proof" but do not verify that anything was filed with the IRS:

• A signed copy of your tax return — This proves a return was prepared, not filed. Returns can be completed and never submitted.
• An engagement letter or contract — This proves you hired someone. It says nothing about what was actually done.
• A receipt for payment to a tax professional — Paying for a service doesn't mean the service was performed.
• Verbal assurance from your professional — Words are not documentation. IRS records are documentation.
• A Power of Attorney (Form 2848) — This authorizes someone to represent you. It does not prove they did anything.
• Software-generated confirmation — Some tax software shows "return completed" but that doesn't mean it was transmitted to the IRS.

Steps to take if returns weren't filed

If your IRS transcripts reveal that returns your professional claimed to file were never received by the IRS:

1. Document everything. Save all correspondence with your tax professional—emails, contracts, receipts, and any copies of returns they provided.
2. Request proof of filing. Ask your professional in writing (email) for an IRS e-file confirmation or certified mail receipt for each return they claim to have filed.
3. Get your returns filed. Whether by your original professional, a new professional, or yourself—the unfiled returns need to be submitted to the IRS as soon as possible.
4. Check for penalties. Late filing penalties accrue. Your IRS transcript will show any penalties assessed. Filing sooner minimizes additional penalty accumulation.
5. Consider filing a complaint. If your professional collected payment for work they did not perform, this may constitute fraud or professional misconduct.

How to document everything

Whether you need documentation for a complaint, refund request, or legal action, preserve:

• Your IRS transcripts — Showing what IRS actually has on file (your PROOF report)
• Engagement letters/contracts — Showing what was promised and agreed to
• Payment records — Showing what you paid for the services
• All email/written communication — Especially promises, timelines, and status updates
• Copies of returns provided to you — Even though prepared returns don't prove filing, they show what was represented to you
• Your request for proof of filing and their response — Document that you asked for filing confirmation

The comparison between what was promised (your contract) and what actually happened (your IRS records) is the foundation of any complaint or claim. Your PROOF report provides the IRS records side of that comparison.

When to file complaints

If your tax professional collected payment for work that was never completed, you have several options for formal complaints:

• IRS Form 14157 — Complaint: Tax Return Preparer. File this with the IRS to report a tax preparer who did not file returns they were paid to file.
• IRS Form 14157-A — Tax Return Preparer Fraud or Misconduct Affidavit. Use if the preparer filed returns without your knowledge or consent, or altered your return.
• State Board of Accountancy — If your professional is a licensed CPA, file a complaint with your state's board.
• State Attorney General — Consumer protection complaints for deceptive business practices.
• Better Business Bureau — File a complaint for public record.
• Federal Trade Commission — Report deceptive practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

PROOF does not provide legal advice or assist with complaints. We provide the independent IRS documentation that establishes the facts. What you do with that documentation is your decision.