Tax Resolution and IRS Help in Trumbull, CT

When an IRS notice asks you to respond, the IRS's own instruction is to act by the due date printed on it. So the first two days are for understanding the letter, not answering it. Work through four steps, in this order, before you pay, call or send anything.

First, confirm it is real. The IRS says it initiates most contacts through regular mail, so a paper letter is the normal route, and an unexpected call, text or email demanding payment is the one to check before you act. An IRS letter shows a CP or LTR number in the right corner, and searching that number on irs.gov tells you what the letter is for. If it does not come up, or the letter looks off, the IRS says to call 800-829-1040. A letter from the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services gets the same check. DRS says it will never contact you by text message or social media to discuss personal tax information, and to contact DRS if you have questions about a call you receive. If the DRS letter is a notice of assessment, what to do with a Connecticut notice of assessment covers paying it, a payment plan and the 60-day protest window.

Second, write down three things from the letter: the notice number, the tax year or period it names, and the due date. Put the date in your calendar and keep the letter where you will find it again.

Third, work out which kind of letter it is. If it shows a balance due, check the amount against the return you filed and every payment you made for that year, estimated payments included. If it is a CP14, the IRS bill for a balance due, what to do with a CP14 notice walks through the week before the due date. If it is a CP501, the IRS reminder that a balance is still unpaid, what to do with a CP501 notice covers the same steps. The IRS says to pay by the due date even if you cannot pay the full amount, because that can reduce interest and penalty charges, so the checking belongs in these first days and not the week the deadline arrives. If it says your return was changed, compare the notice with your copy of the return: the IRS says you only need to act if it asks for more information, shows a balance due, or you disagree. If it is a CP2000, a proposed change to your return because what an employer, bank or other payer reported does not match it, what to do with a CP2000 notice covers how to reply by its date. If it asks for documents, send copies of exactly what it names, keep the originals, and note what you sent and when.

If you think the notice is wrong, follow the dispute instructions printed in it and include copies of the documents that support your side. The IRS says to reply by the due date to guarantee your appeal rights.

Fourth, pull the file before you pick up the phone. That means the return the notice refers to, the W-2s and 1099s behind it, the bank statements for that year and proof of every tax payment. For a business, add the payroll or sales tax reports for the period it names. Calling the number on the letter without them means answering questions about a return you cannot see. When the books for that year were kept current every month, this step is mostly printing reports.

If you would rather not read it alone, call (267) 710-6742, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, with the letter and that year's return in front of you. Reading the notice, telling you what it asks for and handling the reply is what our tax resolution and IRS help covers.