Episode 45: In this episode, Timalyn discusses IRS Notices. She’ll explain what they are, why you’re receiving your IRS notice and how to read it. Then, she’ll provide some insights into the 3 types of IRS Notices that are currently being sent out fairly aggressively by the IRS. Love Letters from the IRS Timalyn lightheartedly refers to notices and communications from the IRS as love letters. In all reality, they can be extremely serious and require immediate attention. Once a client hires Timalyn to help resolve tax debt issues, she also receives copies of the same letters. What Is an IRS Notice? This is written correspondence from the IRS to the taxpayer. It can address a number of issues including a balance due, updates on activity on your account or if any changes to a tax return have been made. Not every IRS Notice involves bad news. Nonetheless, receiving one can cause anxiety. For example, during the pandemic some people received notices of stimulus payments or confirmation of payment of the advanced child tax credit, etc. If you’ve filed an amended tax return or you find a refund you were due, the IRS will also send you a notice. Some IRS notifications are issued to inform you of why you are receiving an IRS communication and what you need to do to resolve any potential issues. IRS CP503 Notice The bulk of the notifications being sent to taxpayers are CP503 notices. In Episode 29, Timalyn explained the IRS CP14 notice (demand for payment of unpaid taxes). The CP503s are different. The CP503 notification is the second notice and a reminder of an unpaid tax balance due. If you have a tax liability when you submit your tax return, you’ll receive a CP14. Then, if the balance hasn’t been paid, the IRS will issue a CP501 (the first notice for balance due). IRS CP504 Notice Timalyn explains that the IRS CP504 notification is the one you really need to be concerned with, if you receive it. This is a final notice and balance due. The CP504 is also notification of the IRS’ intent to levy. In Episode 5, Timalyn answered the question, “What Is a Tax Levy?” Basically, the Intent to Levy is the IRS telling you they have the legal right to take money owed from your personal bank account or business bank account. The IRS also has the legal right to contact your employer to request a garnishment (funds to be withheld) from your paycheck, which are then sent to the IRS. The latter can happen regardless of whether you are a W-2 employee or 1099 independent contractor. The IRS can also require the employer to make backup withholdings. Don’t Put Your Head in the Sand If you have received notifications from the IRS, don’t ignore them. In many situations, the IRS is willing to work with you. However, if you don’t open the letters and fail to respond, you’re going to run out of options and the IRS will run out of patience. How to Read the IRS Notice The office address of the IRS will tell you which actual office is sending the notification. It also signifies the level of importance of this particular IRS notice. If the address has a local address and the name of an IRS representative, your case has been assigned to an IRS revenue officer. Your assigned IRS revenue officer is the only person you’ll be able to communicate with, going forward. He/she is the only IRS contact with whom you can correspond or speak with on the phone about your tax debt situation. These revenue officers are already overloaded with cases, you just added to his/her workload. At the top right of your IRS notice, there is a designation of the type of notice you’re receiving. This could be the CP501, CP503 or the dreaded CP504 (the Intent to Levy). Timalyn comments that there are other types of notices, but these are the more common ones being issued, at this time. Remember, there are also notices of Accuracy-Related Penalties if you failed to report all of your income or miscalculated a deduction/credit. The IRS Notice also provides information regarding the deadline for you to respond. There may still be a way to deal with this, even if the deadline has passed. However, you need to take action, quickly. You can appeal an IRS decision if you’ve received an IRS CP504 (Intent to Levy) notification. You have the option of trying to contact the IRS via telephone (good luck). You may also want to pull your tax transcripts to identify where you might disagree with the IRS and what information they are using to support their claim. The IRS Notice should also include a copy of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. It grants you the right to tax representation. In Episode 10, Timalyn explains how to set up a payment arrangement with the IRS. Bowens Tax Solutions specializes in tax representation. Consider booking a consultation to speak about your tax debt situation and potential options. In Episode 37, Timalyn explains the Tax ...
