<prompt> Human: hey reddit, i am desperate to find a way out of my current predicament. i am a 30 year old male who makes about 45k a year who hasnt paid taxes ever. i dont understand why i thought i could get away with it to begin with but the further along i went the more scared i got to tackle the issue. my employer calls me the other day asking what my SSN was because apparently they have been using another persons SSN number. i just received an email from the person whos SSN number I have been using and they have mentioned lawyers and police force i am pretty scared.edit - gave my employer the correct SSN and they mistyped it.i am ready and willing to square up my debt and dont want to harm the other persons SSN who i have apparently been using. so i have a few questions as to what i should next.1. who should i contact first?2. how brutal number am i looking to actually pay? ballpark?3. can i resolve this issue without my employer and by myself alone? my job is important to have a good reputation and yes by all means i have been a delinquent but i would prefer to keep it as quiet as possible as i pick up the pieces.thanks so much.  <response>: 1. Get a lawyer.2. Just an estimate: effective tax rate is 15 for a 45k income, so you will owe 7k for every year youve been working, plus penalties. And the person whos identity youve effectively stolen might sue you. So you could be looking at a lot of money.3. Get a lawyer. 