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Your IRS CP01H Notice, Explained
Also called: Notice CP01H, CP01H account locked notice
Last reviewed 2026-07-12
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What this notice usually means
IRS Notice CP01H means the IRS locked your account and will not process your tax return. This usually happens because the Social Security number on your return, or your spouse's SSN on a joint return, matches a record for someone who died before the tax year on your return. The IRS does this to prevent identity theft. Fixing the lock starts with the Social Security Administration, not the IRS.
See every source line for this notice
“We locked your account to prevent identity theft and will not process your tax return because we received information that your Social Security number (SSN) or your spouse’s SSN (if filing a joint return) belongs to someone who died prior to the tax year of the return.”
“Contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to correct their records.”
“A copy of your CP01H notice”
“A written request to unlock the account”
“Your tax return with original signatures”
What to do now
- 1
Check the SSN on your return
Check that the SSN on your return matches your Social Security card. On a joint return, check your spouse's SSN too.
- 2
Contact the Social Security Administration
If the SSN was correct, the Social Security Administration must fix its own record first. Then the IRS can process your return.
- 3
Send a written request to unlock your account
Once SSA fixes the record, mail a copy of your CP01H notice, a written request to unlock your account, and a signed copy of your tax return. Use the address on your notice.
- 4
Include an ID with your documents
Attach a copy of an ID with your request. This can be a passport, a driver's license, or your Social Security card.
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Sources
- Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)Retrieved 2026-07-12
Last reviewed 2026-07-12
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