The envelope sits on the counter for three days. I get it. But here's the honest answer: the vast majority of IRS notices are routine, and almost every one of them gets worse when it's ignored and better when it's answered on time.
1. Open it and find the notice number
Look in the upper right corner. There's a notice or letter number there, along with the tax year it concerns and a response date. Those three pieces tell you almost everything about what you're dealing with.
2. Figure out what it's asking for
Notices generally fall into a few buckets:
- We changed something on your return and here's the new number.
- We need information before we can finish processing.
- We need to verify your identity.
- There's a balance due, or a payment we didn't receive.
- We have no record of a return we expected from you.
3. Note the deadline and work backward
The response date is the part that matters most. Some notices preserve important rights only if you respond within the window printed on them. Put the date on your calendar the day you open the letter, not the week it's due.
A notice that proposes a change is not the same as a final bill. Many of them can be answered with documentation. Agreeing by default, or letting the window pass, can close off options you had.
4. Compare it to your return before you agree or disagree
Pull the return for that year and match the notice line by line. Sometimes the IRS is right and there's a document you genuinely missed. Sometimes a payer reported something twice, or reported gross amounts where your return correctly showed something different. You can't know which until you look.
5. Respond in writing and keep proof
- Answer exactly what was asked, and include only the documents that support it.
- Reference the notice number and tax year on everything you send.
- Keep a full copy of your response and proof of mailing.
- Don't send original documents you can't replace.
How to spot a fake
Real notices arrive by mail and direct you to official government resources. The IRS does not open contact by text or social media demanding payment, and it does not ask to be paid in gift cards or cryptocurrency. If someone is pressuring you to act in the next ten minutes, that pressure itself is the warning sign.
As an Enrolled Agent, Melissa is federally licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS. If a notice has you stuck, bring it in rather than guessing at the response.