Getting an IRS notice is stressful, but most are routine and fixable. The worst thing you can do is ignore it — deadlines matter. Here’s the order to work through.
Look at the top-right corner (e.g. CP2000, CP14, CP504) and the response-by date. The number tells you what kind of issue it is, and the date is your clock.
A notice is the IRS’s position, not a final verdict. CP2000s in particular are proposed changes you can dispute — many are wrong or incomplete.
Pull the tax return and documents for the year in question. Check whether the income or math the IRS cites actually matches what you have.
If it’s right, follow the payment or response instructions. If it’s wrong, you have the right to respond in writing with your evidence by the deadline.
If penalties were added, first-time abatement or reasonable-cause relief can remove them. You have to ask — it’s rarely automatic.
Respond in writing, send anything important by certified mail, and keep copies and receipts. The paper trail protects you.
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