What To Do When You Receive A Certified Letter From The IRS

Do not set it on the counter and walk away.

That is what most people do. The certified letter arrives, they sign for it, they see the IRS return address, and they put it face down on the kitchen counter for three days because they are not ready to deal with what is inside. We understand that impulse. We have seen the aftermath of it more times than we can count.

Here is what that letter actually is and what you need to do the moment it arrives.

Why the IRS Sends Certified Mail

The IRS sends certified letters at specific and significant points in the collection process. They are not sending certified mail to say hello. Certified delivery creates a documented record that you received the notice. That record matters legally because several critical deadlines begin the moment that letter is considered delivered.

The most significant certified letters include the CP2000 notice of proposed changes, the Notice of Deficiency, and the CP90 or Letter 1058 which is your Final Notice of Intent to Levy. Each one carries its own deadline and its own set of rights.

What To Do Immediately

Open it the day it arrives. Whatever is inside is already real. Waiting does not change the contents. It only shortens your response window.

Identify the notice type. Every IRS notice has a number in the upper right corner. That number tells you exactly what the IRS is communicating and what response is required.

Note the response deadline. IRS notices carry response windows ranging from 30 to 90 days depending on the notice type. Some of those windows, once missed, cannot be reopened without significant effort.

Do not call the IRS without preparation. The IRS will ask questions. What you say on that call is documented. Before you make contact, understand what the notice is about and what position you are taking in response.

The Notices That Require The Fastest Action

The Final Notice of Intent to Levy gives you 30 days before levy authority activates. The Notice of Deficiency gives you 90 days to petition the Tax Court. Miss those windows and your options shrink significantly.

What Not To Do

Do not ignore it hoping the issue resolves itself. It will not. Do not respond without understanding what you are agreeing to or disputing. Do not assume the IRS is wrong without reviewing the underlying issue.

Bring It To Us

When clients come to us with a stack of unopened IRS mail, we go through every piece. We build a timeline of the collection history, identify where they stand, and determine exactly what needs to happen next.

One certified letter handled correctly can stop a cascade of enforcement actions.

Bring it in. We will tell you exactly what you are dealing with.

Start your fix at www.thefixerfirm.co/startyourfix.

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