Somebody claimed all 4 of my kids already !!

[seashoreCM]

I would file the paper forms. Most likely everything would go through and you would get your refund right away.

You did have the same children claimed on your last year's tax return, no? Or did an ex' really get to claim them by providing more than half their support, on alternating years or whatever?

If the person who claimed your children is a total stranger, I would expect the problem would be easier to resolve. I would say that just getting your refund is good enough. Not worrying about who erroneously claimed your children means one less worry for you in your busy schedule.

 

[summerrluvv]

n/m, don't want to go off topic

 

[Leajess99]

And this is budget/Disney related because that money was going to finance our Disney trip at the end of March.

I tried to file my taxes with turbotax the other night and they were rejected. At first I thought my ex had claimed my oldest even though it wasn't his year. I tried to remove him from the return so I could get the rest of my money, with the intention of filing an amendment later. BUT, every single one of my children (4) had the notice that their social security number had already been used.

I just got off the phone with the IRS, and they gave me the number to the FTC identity theft line, as 3 of these kids are with my husband and there's no way anyone else could claim them. I'll have to file by mail. One person told me they would send me any refund due me minus the "errors" (which actually means I owe about $2000 in taxes), and another said they would send the entire refund and then start proceedings with an auditor after tax season was over.

What worries me is that earlier this year my personal info was used over the internet to start a ton of different subscriptions, with some of them charged to my phone bill. A detective is already working on that.

So I'm canceling my trip as I have no idea what's going on or when I'll actually see the money. We'll get to go later this year, but in the meantime, who the heck claimed the kids??!??

You can still file your taxes using paper and mail in and claim the kids that way. You can send in supporting documents now or when they merge the records and send letters in about 6 months. I found this information out last year when my ex claimed my kids and had no right to claim them.

I am sorry that this is happening to you.

 

[Leajess99]

OK, to clear things up. First, ONLY my oldest belongs to my ex. My ex does not have information on the other three (unless he obtained it illegally the same way any other person might have) My other three children are with my current husband, and he assures me that since he hasn't even fixed the broken towel bar yet (going on a month now) what would make me think he would file a tax return?

Second, I already have fraud alerts at all three credit reporting agencies and reported it to the FTC from MY stuff earlier this year. I will call on my kids, but the detective did say that there may not be a credit report to put a fraud alert on because they're so young. Oh, and the magazines (weirdly) came to me at my current address. I still haven't figured that one out!

Also, I spoke with the taxpayer advocate in Detroit, who then transferred me to a tax attorney with the IRS. Because only one person has claimed my children as of right now, there's nothing they can do. Until I file and prove that I have the right to claim my children, the other person will not get in trouble (unless they get audited). Even then, they have the right to amend their return and avoid penalties and I may never know who did it. If the person does not change their return, THEN it will become an investigation, but she said it will take about 6 months.

In the meantime the detective is still looking into my case from earlier--the out of state internet provider says it actually isn't their IP address (rerouted?) and so he hasn't figured out yet where the activity occurred.

Not sure of your children's ages but what I did was send in copies of my kids' school records to prove they resided with me and attended school here. My ex found out sooner than 6 months that he was turned in therefore had to pay money back. The IRS needs to get their heads out of their butts and put a stop to this sort of stuff.

 

[DisneyMomOK]

If I have this straight;

You're currently married. The person you're married to now is the biological and legal father of children #2,3 and 4. Right? So there are no custody or other arrangements for these kids? But THEIR SS #s are being rejected?

That's very odd.

I would go WITH my husband straight to the SS office, with our picture IDs and our 3 children. And sit there until someone pays attention to me.

IMO, IRS is incorrectly assuming that your ex (or whomever) has a legal right to file for all children. Your other three children's birth certificates will verify you and your husband are the parents. I would insist on talking with someone and drop the name of your Congressman or woman. This is so obviously wrong, no agent wants this in their personnel file. I think because one of your children has another parent the agent has incorrectly assumed all children have another legal parent. Being proactive with IRS is necessary.

 

[disneymarie]

I was just wondering,
If you have the alert on and are filing online....is it alerting you to yourself?
That the flag went up someone is filing with your kids hit the alert, and turbo is just saying that someone already claimed your kids (you) and it actually being only a program not a human is not letting You claim the kids.

i would try calling the IRS office 1-800 1040 and see if you can find out if a flag on the ss no's would also prevent you from claiming them yourself without valid proff. They have to tell you where the refund was sent and the name of the filer after you can verify who you are.
The only other people would never have access to your information, and would be caught....Have IRS check for flag and do something to remove it for you to acess if there is one there.

I am mentioning this as when we were rearing and the oldest went to college which we still were paying child support my dh ex also was claiming his dd.

I felt if we were audited we had all the child support payment receipts plus she resided with us. We never signed a release for ex to claim her.

But that was back in 1995 era,

Also, someone in Texas has used my dd soc sec no since she was 10. They even got a credit card and had soc sec that went into my dd funds from Texas.

But even up until last year when we claimed her still never had any indication that she was having her no. used. unless the person was an illegal and it was never caught as he never filed for refund?
I think because the other person used their own name with her soc sec no. So unless there is a flag with the name and the soc sec no. I can't see anyone but you or ex's having the information needed to file or to mess with the IRS federal charges....

It has to be a glitch not allowing you to file is my thoughts with a law enforcement background.

good luck and update the mystery
di

 

[DanaAustinChelsea]

"the detective did say that there may not be a credit report to put a fraud alert on because they're so young."

If someone is using their SSNs to start accounts, there will be. Set up the fraud alert on the kids...

That's so true, it happened to my DD's ss # when she was about 12. If there is a number, it can be used, sometimes even for deceased persons ss# (it usually shows on the credit report the person is deceased, but it still happens!) Good luck!

 

[squirrlygirl]

If I have this straight;

You're currently married. The person you're married to now is the biological and legal father of children #2,3 and 4. Right? So there are no custody or other arrangements for these kids? But THEIR SS #s are being rejected?

That's very odd.

I would go WITH my husband straight to the SS office, with our picture IDs and our 3 children. And sit there until someone pays attention to me.

Yes, you have it straight.

The tax attorney at the IRS was aware of that. She told me to go ahead and send in the divorce decree to prove I have the right to claim my oldest son (the alternative to having that form 8somethingsomething) but there was no need to send anything for the other kids at this time.

I'm hoping it is a turbotax glitch that is rejecting all my children now, but I won't know unless I get to the audit point.

 

[seashoreCM]

I do have personal experience with this and yep, that's how it works. The first person to claim them gets them until audit time.
:

When the second person claims them then audit time might come mighty fast.

Sometimes an ex' gets to claim a child by earmarking his child support payments for that child and in that way pays for more than half that child's support.

 

[Debbie Jean]

My ex tried to claim my DS once, and I was told by the IRS that the person who has the child the most gets to claim them My ex only has his every other weekend on paper and much less than that in reality. I have claimed him for 10 years, since we split. Of course, I also file as soon as I get my forms, so maybe if he got busy, I would be in the same situation.

OP, I hope this all works out for you. It really sucks that they can't just let you claim the kids and go after whoever claimed them. Seems like with a notarized statement from you and their did that you did not give anyone permission to claim them, they would do that. Of course, it is also interesting that when my ex and I owed money from years we were married, they did not go after him for not filing and took it all from ME when I filed! Gotta love the logic of the IRS!

Marsha

Not ture. This should be covered in your divorce decree, especially if the non-custodial parent is paying child support. As with many others, my ex and I took turns claiming DD.

 

[horseshowmom]

You can still file your taxes using paper and mail in and claim the kids that way. You can send in supporting documents now or when they merge the records and send letters in about 6 months. I found this information out last year when my ex claimed my kids and had no right to claim them.

Not ture. This should be covered in your divorce decree, especially if the non-custodial parent is paying child support. As with many others, my ex and I took turns claiming DD.

I know of a similar situation where the mother (who was the custodial parent) claimed the son even though she knew she wasn't supposed to do so. The divorce decree spelled out that the father would claim one of the children and she would claim the other, but she chose to claim both of them. The situation was discovered in the same way (the father tried to file electronically and found that the son had already been claimed).

He submitted his taxes by paper (including the required paperwork showing he was legally entitled to claim the son). His refund came with no problems. Later on (several months later), he received the same letter that another poster mentioned (do nothing if you filed correctly - which he did). He assumed she got one too, but he never heard anything from her or the IRS after that.

I would file a paper return, include my documentation for the oldest son (since he's the only one there could be a question about), and go from there. If you get a letter later, you know you filed correctly so there's nothing for you to do. Honestly, I don't know what else you can do at this point.

 

[torinsmom]

Not ture. This should be covered in your divorce decree, especially if the non-custodial parent is paying child support. As with many others, my ex and I took turns claiming DD.

Well, my ex sure does not pay 1/2 my child's support. He pays $225/month, which is barely enough to buy the food he eats in a month,and he only pays that b/c it comes straight out of his paycheck. He pays for his insurance, which does not add anything to his deductions, since it is a family plan that covers all his dependents for one price. We had a very simple divorce, since we had no real assets to deal with. All we had was DS, and he did not want any more responsibility than every other weekend. I wrote up the custody agreement and there was nothing in there about claiming DS on taxes. The one time he told me he wanted to claim DS, I called the IRS and was told that if we both claimed him, we would get audited and since I had DS almost all the time and paid for most of his support, I would be the one who got to claim him. Maybe that's not true, but that is what I was told.

I found this on a tax site...

Who Gets to Claim a Child as a Dependent?

Generally, in order for someone to claim a child as a dependent, a parent must provide at least 50% of the child’s support during the tax year. For couples who are still married and living together, claiming kids as dependents is usually a slam-dunk.

Things get complicated, however, when parents divorce or separate. Now, only one parent can claim the dependent exemption. (The IRS will come down hard if both try to claim it; they cross-reference dependents' Social Security numbers to make sure taxpayers aren’t doing this.)

Okay, anyone who thinks $2700/year is more than half what it takes to raise a child, raise your hand....

Marsha

 

[daisax]

It's one thing to have a nasty ex. It's another thing to have a nasty, STUPID ex. And an ex claiming deductions on his ex-wife's kids with another man seems colossally stupid to me. Easy to trace... and then what? You can claim you forgot it was not your year... hard to claim you forgot they weren't your children.

I vote for either a glitch or a total stranger(s) using the numbers in some phony scheme they believe they can't be traced to.

 

[ORMom2Four]

We went through something similar.

Two years ago, we went to E-file through TurboTax. We were denied because someone had already claimed one of our dependents. There is no ex involved, Dh and I have been married 17 years. The IRS would not tell us who was doing this. The person used our DS's social security number and his full name! (the IRS later told us)

When the e-file failed, we were able to print off the taxes and submit them by mail, with our DS included. We received our refund as expected. The IRS followed up about 8 months later. We had to prove that we had DS in our home and were the sole providers for him. We had to send in copies of his birth certificate and social security card. We had to write a letter stating that we were the only people caring for him for that year. We had to get a letter from his Dr. stating that we were the people who cared for him. We also had to provide the IRS with school documentation.

Guess what! Same thing happened the following year! I was MAD. The second time, the IRS said that they had all of the info they needed and if they had any trouble, they would contact us. I assume they were investigating the other person who was claiming our son as a dependent.

This year, our e-file finally went though without a hitch. I assume we either filed first (before the other person) or the IRS cleared it up. What a mess though!

My advice (others have said the same thing ) File as usual, but print it out and mail it in. The IRS will eventually get around to investigating. Gather any info you need before then. (official copy of birth certificate, social security card, letters from doctors, etc) That way you can send it in as soon as they start the investigation.

Good luck!

 

[CarolA]

PULL CREDIT REPORTS NOW!!!!!!!!

(Didn't read all of the threads but I am willing to bet that you may have an issue!)

 

[Debbie Jean]

Well, my ex sure does not pay 1/2 my child's support. He pays $225/month, which is barely enough to buy the food he eats in a month,and he only pays that b/c it comes straight out of his paycheck. He pays for his insurance, which does not add anything to his deductions, since it is a family plan that covers all his dependents for one price. We had a very simple divorce, since we had no real assets to deal with. All we had was DS, and he did not want any more responsibility than every other weekend. I wrote up the custody agreement and there was nothing in there about claiming DS on taxes. The one time he told me he wanted to claim DS, I called the IRS and was told that if we both claimed him, we would get audited and since I had DS almost all the time and paid for most of his support, I would be the one who got to claim him. Maybe that's not true, but that is what I was told.

I found this on a tax site...

Who Gets to Claim a Child as a Dependent?

Generally, in order for someone to claim a child as a dependent, a parent must provide at least 50% of the child’s support during the tax year. For couples who are still married and living together, claiming kids as dependents is usually a slam-dunk.

Things get complicated, however, when parents divorce or separate. Now, only one parent can claim the dependent exemption. (The IRS will come down hard if both try to claim it; they cross-reference dependents' Social Security numbers to make sure taxpayers aren’t doing this.)

Okay, anyone who thinks $2700/year is more than half what it takes to raise a child, raise your hand....

Marsha

I didn't suggest paying half the child's support.

Reread what you just quoted,
"Generally in order for someone to claim a child as a dependent, a parent must provide at least 50% of the child’s support during the tax year."
But
"Things get complicated, however, when parents divorce or separate"

Which is why most divorce decrees will spell out exactly who gets the deduction.... either parent can take the child as a deduction. In your case, if your ex decided to take the deduction, you'd have to work it out with the IRS. I would guess you would win in the end, but who wants the hassle? That's why it should be covered in your settlement.

Is it fair? No. But there is a great deal about divorce that ain't fair... don't get me started!

 

[jcemom]

I'm hoping it is a turbotax glitch that is rejecting all my children now, but I won't know unless I get to the audit point.

Can you run all your information through TaxAct or another online program? Just to double check? If it is indeed a TurboTax glitch then maybe the SS numbers will be accepted on another program.

 

[spoilmygurl]

I would just like to clarify a few things for you:

1. There is no "flag" that can be put on your childrens's ss#'s to prevent them from being used. For all the IRS knows, the next year that person may meet eligibility requirements to claim them.
2. Do NOT send in "proof" showing you are eligible to claim these children when you mail a paper return. At this point there is no investigation open and it is very likely that these documents will be seperated from your return. When the IRS begins the investigation you will have to send them in again.
3. The IRS will NEVER tell you who did this. Tax records are very private. It may seem like the right thing to do (informing you). But they pride themselves on not disclosing anybody's financial info. Even if that person is a criminal.
4. Just mail your return in on paper. It will be processed as if those kids were never claimed. It will take longer than electronic filing. But no longer then any other paper return. 6-8 weeks.
5. Take a deep breath and just realize people suck sometimes. You could be the most careful person in the world, but if a thief wants access to your info-they'll get it.

Hope these little tidbits help.
<source: My uncle is a CSR for the IRS he was sitting right here with me when I read your post >

 

[Poohlovr]

As others have said, go ahead and file a paper return. You'll get your refund as scheduled.

We had this happen to us for 2 yrs in a row. I have custody of 2 of my grandchildren. For some odd reason, my ex son-inl-aw thought he should claim them. For 2 yrs in a row, he did this and for those 2 yrs, I had to paper file my taxes.

After the second yr, I got the letter from the IRS saying that someone else had also claimed them for those two years, with the papers to file an amended return to use, if I felt that I had "claimed them in error". I called the IRS. They told me to do nothing until (or unless) I heard from them again. She was very helpful and told me what documentation I could use to support my claim. It really doesn't take much, to be honest.

A few months later, I got the second letter. This letter told me to send documentation stating that I had the right to claim them for the years in question. I got a letter from their school stating that the address on file for the kids during that time was the same as mine. I sent that in, along with a letter stating that I received no child support for them and was their only means of support. That was the end of it. I never heard another word and have had no problem claiming them electronically since then.

Now, I said my ex son-in-law did this. I really don't know, because the IRS sure wouldn't say. I know it wasn't my daughter, because I did her taxes for her. So, I assumed it was him. It sounds just like something this non-support paying jerk, who is supposed to carry insurance on them, but won't, would do.