Every year the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will send a notice or letter to taxpayers for several reasons. In most cases, the notice is regarding a specific issue with a taxpayer's account or tax return. The notice may also alert you about changes to your account or that a balance is due on your behalf.
Because of the direction provided in the notice, most of the correspondence can be handled without calling or having to physically visit an IRS office. If you decide that you want to fight the notice or need more help understanding what is needed of you, an Orlando CPA can help you determine your options and how to best respond.
What To Do When You Get An IRS Notice In The Mail?
Determine Where The Notice Came From
Before taking any other steps, you need to check who has sent you the notice. Knowing where the notice is from will help you when figuring out what your next steps should be.
If the letter is:
From the IRS - It will have instructions on how to properly respond. If you need more details, you can order a transcript of your tax account.
From Another Agency - If it is from another agency like the state tax department, you will need to call that office to learn more.
From the Department of the Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service - These notices are typically sent when the IRS takes (offsets) part of your tax refund to cover another, non-IRS debt.
Take Time To Further Understand Your Notice
Upon further review of the notice, there will be an explanation of what steps you will need to take to proceed in the process.
You will also need to take time to fully understand what the IRS is trying to tell you. To do this, you will need to carefully read the letter and review its contents.
While reviewing the notice, you will find a letter or notice number in either the top or bottom right-hand corner of the notice preceded by the letters CP or LTR.
After you have found the CP or LTR number, you will need to head to irs.gov and use the IRS Notices & Letters Search which contains further instructions on how to proceed if you find that you disagree with the information on the notice.
What Should You Do If You've Lost Your Notice?
If you have lost your notice, do not worry. You can call the IRS toll-free:
Individual taxpayers: 800-829-1040
Business taxpayers: 800-829-4933
How Can A CPA Help With An IRS Notice?
If you have received a notice from the IRS, an experienced certified public accountant can help determine what options work best for your unique situation. If you decide to fight the notice because you feel it is incorrect, they can create a plan of action on how to proceed. They can also advise when negotiating any large balances.
Contact Burgos CPA Services for a free consultation: click here.
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