What to Do When a Tax Notice Arrives
Identify the agency, understand the request, and protect the response date before deciding what to do.
What the Notice Means
A notice may report an unpaid balance, ask for missing information, propose a change, or announce collection action. Those are different situations. A CP2000, for example, proposes changes based on information from employers or financial institutions; it is not itself a bill.
Your First Steps
Read every page. Record the agency, notice number, tax year, notice date, response deadline, and amount. Match the notice to your filed return and payment records. Use the official notice lookup below to check what the letter requires.
Protect the Deadline
Use the date and instructions on your own notice. A request for more information, a telephone call, or an inquiry through this website does not automatically extend an agency or court deadline. A CP3219A includes a Tax Court deadline that the IRS cannot extend.
If You Agree or Disagree
If you agree, follow the response or payment instructions. If you disagree, identify each disputed item and gather evidence. For CP2000 notices, follow the response instructions and provide supporting records. An amended return is not automatically required simply because you received a CP2000.
What to Gather
Keep the full notice and envelope, the filed return, W-2 and 1099 forms, payment confirmations, and prior correspondence together. Keep a copy of each response and proof of how and when you sent it.
What You Can Do Yourself
You can compare records, use an official account, and respond directly. Consider a credentialed professional when a court deadline, levy, disputed legal issue, or several tax years make the response difficult.
Official Sources
IRS: Understanding Your CP14 Noticewww.irs.govIRS: Understanding Your CP2000 Series Noticewww.irs.govIRS: Understanding Your CP3219A Noticewww.irs.govFTB: Notice of State Income Tax Duewww.ftb.ca.govGeneral education, not a case-specific tax or legal determination. Agency instructions and the deadlines on your own notice control. Keep sensitive records in your secure files.