• TAX IDENTITY SHIELD

    Keep your refund safe with identity protection

    Don’t let identity theft stand in the way of your refund. H&R Block offers year-round tax identity protection and restoration — simply start your taxes and add Tax Identity Shield® at any point in the process.

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  • Tax identity theft can happen to anyone, even you

  • All a thief needs to file a fraudulent return is your name, birthdate, and Social Security Number. If you’re a victim of tax identity theft, it can take several months to even years to get your refund.

  • We take your privacy personally

    H&R Block Tax Identity Shield® helps protect you from tax identity theft, and if you ever become a tax identity theft victim, we can help with that, too. Tax Identity Shield includes:

  • Dark Web Identity Watch

    We’ll continuously look out for your personal information where criminals buy and sell personal data.

  • SSN Alerts

    We’ll notify you of any names or addresses associated with your Social Security number, or if your SSN is found on any tax return filed in our system.

  • Tax Return Notifications

    We’ll update you if someone attempts to e-file a tax return using your info in our system. We’ll even prevent that fraudulent return from reaching the IRS if filed prior to the date the IRS starts to accept and process returns.

  • IRS Protections

    We’ll help you apply for proactive IRS protections like an IRS IP PIN regardless of identity theft indicators.

  • Tax Identity Restoration Assistance

    If you become a tax fraud victim, we offer assistance from a specially-trained agent to help recover your refund as quickly as possible.

  • Credit Report Access and Identity Monitoring

    If you become a tax fraud victim, get one-year access to your three-bureau credit report, plus tools to restore and manage your credit and tax identity.

  • Get tax help, however you need it

    Approximately 52% of filers qualify for H&R Block Online Free Edition. Simple tax situations only (Form 1040 and no schedules except Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Student Loan Interest, and Retirement Plan Distributions). Learn more

  • File on your own with confidence

    Self-paced filing with upgrade options — ~52% qualify for free.

    • Upgrade with expert help anytime
    • Easy, guided steps on any device
    Starting at File on your own with confidence $
    +  state additional for paid products
    *simple returns only

  • File online with help by your side

    Online support from live tax pros and AI Tax Assist.

    • Great for families, freelancers, or investors
    • Accuracy and ease from start to finish
    Starting at File online with help by your side $
    +  per state filed

  • File stress-free with a tax pro

    Full, personalized support from home, in person, or both.

    • Taxes prepared by an expert in as little as one hour
    • Choose your pro or get matched based on your needs
    Starting at $99 + additional state fee

Tax identity theft FAQs

Tax Identity Shield from H&R Block helps protect your sensitive personal information from potential tax-related identity theft. If you become a victim of tax identity theft, we’ll help you recover your tax refund, offer tools to restore and manage your credit, and help you communicate with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Tax identity theft, sometimes called tax fraud, occurs when a thief uses your information to file a fraudulent tax return to steal money from the IRS. All a thief needs to file a fraudulent tax return is your name, date of birth and Social Security number, which is why tax identity protection services and tax fraud protection are so important.

Criminals obtain personal information in many ways. These include from a lost/stolen purse or wallet, buying it on the dark web, unsecured mail or documents in the home, phishing schemes (phone or email), data breaches, and obtaining access to personal information via banks, retailers, companies you do business with, your employer, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, schools, government offices, etc.

It can take several months or even years to resolve the issue, resulting in significant delays in receiving your tax refund or filing the return. You may be responsible for proving that the return is fraudulent and income documents are fake. Plus, your information may be at risk for other forms of identity theft.