The IRS may send you a letter or notice to request payment for taxes, notify
you of a change to your account, or request additional information. Please
review the correspondence and compare it with the information on your return.
If you agree with the correction to your account no reply is generally necessary,
unless a payment is due. If you do not agree with the correction we made,
it is important that you respond as requested. Please write and explain why
you disagree. Include any documents and information you wish us to consider,
and send the information to the IRS address generally shown in the upper left–hand
corner of the notice. Allow at least 30 days for a response from us.
If you are due a refund because of our adjustment, it will be sent to you
unless you owe other past–due obligations the law requires us to collect,
such as other taxes, child support, student loans, etc. Any refund issued
as a result of our change or correction, should be received within 6 weeks
from the date of the notice.
Sometimes we send a second letter or notice requesting additional information
or providing additional information to you. Be sure to keep copies of any
correspondence with your records.
If you made a payment for which you haven't been given credit, send us
proof of the payment. If payment was made by check, send a copy of the front
and back of the check. DO NOT SEND YOUR ACTUAL CHECK; SEND ONLY A COPY OF
IT. If payment was made by money order, you must obtain a copy of the front
and back of the canceled money order from the place where the money order
was purchased.
If you contacted us about a lost or stolen refund check, the notice we
sent you will tell you what action to take. If you receive a Notice CP–2000,
refer to Topic 652.
If you make quarterly estimated tax payments, please review your computation.
You may need to make changes to the amount of your payments based on the changes
we made.
All notices should tell you where to send your reply. Often, it will be
to the IRS service center where you filed your return.
Most correspondence can be handled without calling or visiting an IRS office,
if you follow the instructions in the letter or notice. However, if you have
questions, call the telephone number that is usually found in the upper right–hand
corner of the notice. Have a copy of your tax return and the correspondence
available when you call, so your account can be readily accessible.