What This Service Actually Does
- An assessment review compares filed returns, IRS transactions, tax adjustments, payments, penalties and notices. It identifies questions requiring clarification rather than treating every displayed balance as conclusively correct.
- The resulting written summary should separate confirmed facts, missing records, time-sensitive actions and potential options. It should not promise an offer settlement before the financial and eligibility analysis exists.
Why Someone Might Need It
- You have several tax years involved, cannot explain the balance or are considering an investigation fee.
- A company says it found a new liability, an unfiled return or a collection problem and you want the supporting records.
What a Professional Might Charge
Selected advertised prices run from $200 for limited account research to $1,500 for a broader investigation. These are different scopes, not interchangeable packages.
Illustrative published fee examples, not a verified national average, required rate, legal price limit, or quote. The price depends on the work and the professional. Agency charges and taxes are separate.
Compare the Full Scope and CostWhat the Professional Fee May Include
- Obtaining authorized IRS transcripts, reconciling specified periods, identifying filing gaps and reviewing collection correspondence.
- A written findings report, explanation of unresolved questions and a recommendation with assumptions, if included in the contract.
What It May Exclude
- Return preparation, amended returns, accounting reconstruction, state account research, actual negotiations and appeals unless specifically listed.
- A guaranteed result, an automatic collection hold or a conclusive legal opinion merely because transcripts were downloaded.
Can I Do This Myself?
You can obtain your own IRS records and build an initial case summary without paying a company. Professional analysis is useful when the records are incomplete, the assessment is disputed or legal and business issues affect the available options.
Documents and Information I Need
- IRS notices and envelopes; filed federal returns and amendments; electronic filing acknowledgments or mailing receipts.
- Payment confirmations, canceled checks, bank evidence and any prior agreement or offer documents.
- W-2s, 1099s, business records and a list of years when you did not file or are unsure whether you filed.
- A private folder and worksheet with one row per tax year. Do not upload these records or IRS login details to Liberty Standard.
Keep these records in your own secure files. This website does not require your tax documents to read or use the guide.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Gather Your Existing Records
Group notices, returns and payment proof by year. Keep originals. Create a separate urgent-deadline list before doing a complete historical review. Record which documents are missing so you do not mistake incomplete records for a confirmed liability.
Access Your IRS Account
Start at the official Individual Online Account page and follow its identity-verification instructions. New users should have photo identification ready. Enter credentials only through the IRS authentication flow, never in a third-party questionnaire.
Record Balances by Tax Year
Write each displayed balance and the date you viewed it. Keep pending transactions and questions in a separate column. An online balance can change as transactions process and interest accrues; do not add balances from multiple notices that concern the same debt.
Obtain Tax Account Transcripts
In the account's tax-record area, request an account transcript for each relevant year. It shows account activity and changes after filing. Download or print it. When online access is unavailable, use the official mail, phone or Form 4506-T alternatives.
Obtain Return Transcripts Where Useful
A return transcript summarizes most information from the original filed return. It does not show later changes and is not a photocopy. Compare it with your copy of the filed return; use account records and amendment documents to trace subsequent adjustments.
Obtain Wage and Income Transcripts If Needed
These contain information returns reported to the IRS, including W-2 and 1099 data. They can help reconstruct missing records, but may be incomplete and do not establish deductible expenses or every item needed for a return. Ask employers and payers for missing documents.
Reconcile Charges and Payments
For each year, list original tax, later assessments, penalties, interest, payments and transfers separately. Match payment dates and amounts to your receipts. Flag unexplained entries and ask for an explanation rather than guessing from a transaction code.
Identify Possible Filing Gaps
Compare your filing acknowledgments with the years in IRS records. A missing processed-return entry is a reason to investigate, not permission to assume you had no filing obligation. Confirm whether a return is missing, still processing or was prepared by the IRS from third-party information.
Identify Collection Activity and Deadlines
Read your actual notices for lien, levy, hearing and court information. Ask about the current collection unit and pending action. Do not calculate a response deadline from a transcript entry or assume that reviewing records extends it.
Prepare Specific Questions
For each discrepancy, write the year, document, amount and question. For example: My confirmation shows a payment on this date; which tax period received it? Ask for the assessment's explanation or underlying examination report when an adjustment is unfamiliar.
Contact the Responsible IRS Office
Use your verified notice number or the IRS contact page. Keep relevant records beside you. Record the employee identification, answers, required documents, delivery method and follow-up date. Ask what can be confirmed now and what needs another unit's review.
Create a Written Findings Summary
For each year, document the recorded balance, filing status, supporting source, unresolved discrepancy, collection stage and next deadline. End with actions, owners and follow-up dates. This is the document you can use for DIY work or ask a professional to evaluate.
Checkmarks are a personal reading aid. They are not submitted to an agency or saved as a case record. Enter personal or bank information only through the agency’s secure system.
Official IRS Forms and Resources
What Happens After Submission?
- There is no investigation application to submit. Obtaining records does not automatically stop collection or request relief.
- Update your summary when the IRS posts a correction or explains an entry. Save supporting correspondence and independently verify that the expected adjustment actually reached the account.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating a transcript as proof that an assessment is legally correct. It records IRS account activity; a substantive dispute may require returns, supporting evidence and legal analysis.
- Assuming old debt automatically expires ten years after the tax year. Collection periods generally run from assessment, and suspensions or extensions can change them.
- Paying another investigation fee without asking what additional work or unresolved issue it covers.
When Professional Assistance May Be Appropriate
- Get an experienced EA, CPA or tax attorney to review disputed assessments, complicated business or payroll taxes, audit changes, missing historical records or inconsistent IRS explanations.
- Seek specific analysis before relying on a collection expiration date, especially after bankruptcy, an offer, an installment request or an appeal. Different assessments can have different deadlines.
Free or Low-Cost Assistance
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Get Transcripts without an Online Account?
Yes. IRS mail and automated phone options provide certain transcript types; Form 4506-T supports additional requests. Follow current identity and mailing requirements. A request by mail is not immediate.
Is a Record of Account Different?
It combines return-transcript and account-transcript information. Availability varies by transcript type and year; use the IRS ordering page to select the record you need.
Does This Cover State Debt?
No. Obtain state account records and notices separately from the relevant agency. An IRS transcript does not provide a complete state tax history.
Official guidance reviewed October 10, 2026. General education does not determine eligibility or extend a deadline. Follow the current agency instructions and the dates on your actual notice. These IRS procedures do not replace state-specific rules.