@jrwa81 wrote:Hey everyone,
I have a question that I'm hoping someone can answer. I was pre-approved for three different Discover cards tonight, so I selected the cash back card. It then asked me to upload some documents to verify my identity (a recent bank statement and a copy of my SS card and photo ID), which I thought was a bit strange since no other credit card company has ever asked for any of this, but I complied and uploaded them. I then went on the Discover chat to ensure that they had received my documents. The representative I chatted with went to check and then she came back a few minutes later and asked if I've filed tax returns in the past two years. I said yes, of course I have. She then said that they would be emailing me a link from Equifax in the next few days to allow them access to my tax returns.
Does this seem a bit strange to anyone else? I've had many different credit cards over the past 22 years of my adult life and not a single one of them has ever asked for access to my IRS tax returns. This just seems extremely intrusive to me. I asked the representative why they needed this, but she either would not or could not give me an explanation and simply apologized for the "inconvenience." I've never been a Discover customer before, so I'm completely clueless. Is this the norm for them? Can anyone explain to me why they would need access to my tax returns? My goodness, I already provided them my last month's bank statement as well as a copy of my driver's license and social security card. What else could they possibly need? You'd think I was applying for a mortgage with everything they are asking for just for a simple credit card!
Something in your credit report and/or one of your answers on the application must have triggered a financial review.
Discover has been known to randomly ask card holders to turn over tax documents to prove income... my suspicion is they've been burned to many times from people who exaggerated their income.
If you don't want to release your records, your application will be denied and/or account closed if they already approved it.
It's been mixed results for people who have allowed access to tax returns... on the internet it is hard to tell if honesty about income was the cause of adverse action.
*OP, did Discover do a hp? Were you approved? Also, have you received the link to the 4506-T?
Usually, or what I've read here that's happened to some mf peeps in the past, Discover would approve the applicant only then to lock the card/account access/send an email request for 4506-T and then (sometimes) when the recipient opens the email the phone will ring....guess who? 
..a Disco CSR....really creepy stuff 
doing a followup on the tax form request. Some mf peeps at that point have either complied or paid off their new card and closed it.
So that's why I'm asking the above questions. Wondering if Disco has changed their approval process to requesting info. FIRST before opening and possibly closing a new tl in one fell swoop.
If none of the above *questions* have happened then go ahead and lock/freeze your cr's again and move on if you're not interested in fooling with it.
@GApeachy wrote:*OP, did Discover do a hp? Were you approved? Also, have you received the link to the 4506-T?
Usually, or what I've read here that's happened to some mf peeps in the past, Discover would approve the applicant only then to lock the card/account access/send an email request for 4506-T and then (sometimes) when the recipient opens the email the phone will ring....guess who?
So that's why I'm asking the above questions. Wondering if Disco has changed their approval process to requesting info. FIRST before opening and possibly closing a new tl in one fell swoop.
If none of the above *questions* have happened then go ahead and lock/freeze your cr's again and move on if you're not interested in fooling with it.
As an aside, the 4506-C is now the form used to request release of federal tax returns. There was a short transitional period where both form types were accepted but that ended 5-6 months ago when the IRS completed the cutover to an updated process.
The updated process (supposedly) tightens up the requirements to be allowed to request tax data from the IRS and uses the 4506-C. The old approval process was retired, and along with that the 4506-T was also retired from use. The 2 forms themselves were functionally equivalent and serve the same purpose.
"What is this 4506-C request? I keep reading on the forum about 4506-T requests"