A letter from PO Box 98285 in Washington, DC is almost always from the Internal Revenue Service. What the IRS actually wants, and how fast you have to act, is spelled out by the notice or letter number printed in the upper-right corner of the first page. Find that number before you do anything else. It’s the single piece of information that tells you whether you’re looking at a routine balance reminder, a proposed change to your return, an identity check, or a final warning before the IRS seizes money.
Confirm It’s Really the IRS
The IRS contacts taxpayers by mail through the U.S. Postal Service before using any other method.1Internal Revenue Service. How to Know It’s the IRS A genuine letter carries official letterhead, a notice or letter number, a specific reason for writing, a tax year, and clear response instructions. When money is involved, it names an exact amount.
Scam letters tend to give themselves away. The IRS will never demand immediate payment over the phone, threaten to send police to arrest you, or ask you to pay with gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.1Internal Revenue Service. How to Know It’s the IRS It also won’t send unsolicited emails, texts, or social media messages unless you opted in.
If anything about the letter feels off, don’t call the phone numbers or visit the websites printed on it. Go directly to IRS.gov, call the IRS at 800-829-1040, or sign in to your IRS Online Account, where legitimate notices appear in digital form.2Internal Revenue Service. Online Account for Individuals If it turns out to be fake, report it to the U.S. Postal Service and the Federal Trade Commission.3Internal Revenue Service. 4Taxpayer Advocate Service. Notice CP14
If your notice number isn’t on this list, search it on IRS.gov under “Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter.” Every number has its own page explaining what the notice means and what response the IRS expects. Every IRS notice carries a response deadline, and missing it is where most people get into real trouble. A CP2000 typically gives you 30 days from the date on the notice. An LT11 or Letter 1058 gives you 30 days to request a Collection Due Process hearing.8Internal Revenue Service. Collection Due Process (CDP) An audit letter such as Letter 525 gives you 30 days to request a conference with the IRS Independent Office of Appeals before the IRS can issue a formal Notice of Deficiency.9Taxpayer Advocate Service. Letter 525 Audit Report/Letter Giving Taxpayer 30 Days to Respond These deadlines are tied to legal rights you lose if you let them pass. Pull together everything the letter references: W-2s, 1099s, receipts for deductions, proof of payments, and your copy of the return for the year in question. If you agree with the IRS’s proposal, follow the payment instructions. If you disagree, write a plain explanation, attach your supporting documents, and mail your response to the address on the notice before the deadline. You can also upload documents through the IRS Document Upload Tool using the access code or notice number on your letter.10Internal Revenue Service. IRS Document Upload Tool Paying the full balance immediately stops additional interest from accruing, and interest compounds daily on both unpaid tax and penalties. If you can’t pay all at once, the IRS offers two structured options you can set up yourself.11Internal Revenue Service. Payment Plans; Installment Agreements A short-term payment plan gives you up to 180 days to pay in full. Individuals who owe less than $100,000 in combined tax, penalties, and interest can apply online, and there’s no setup fee. Interest and penalties keep accruing until the balance is cleared. A long-term installment agreement spreads the balance across monthly payments. If you owe $50,000 or less and have filed all required returns, you can apply online. Low-income taxpayers, defined as those with adjusted gross income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, can have the setup fee waived. You can pay through IRS Direct Pay from a checking or savings account, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, or by debit or credit card. Even a partial payment helps: it shows good faith and can affect how aggressively the IRS pursues collection. You’re not required to accept what the notice proposes. For a CP2000, respond in writing by the deadline with documentation showing the IRS’s information is incorrect.5Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your CP2000 Series Notice If you don’t respond, or the IRS can’t resolve the mismatch, a follow-up notice and a bill will arrive. For a collection notice like LT11, file Form 12153 within 30 days to request a Collection Due Process hearing. At that hearing you can propose an installment agreement, an offer in compromise, or argue the tax was assessed incorrectly. If you want Appeals to consider a payment alternative, you’ll also submit Form 433-A so they can evaluate your ability to pay.8Internal Revenue Service. Collection Due Process (CDP) For audit disputes, the 30-day letter is your chance to request an Appeals conference. Miss that window, or fail to resolve the issue at Appeals, and the IRS issues a Notice of Deficiency, giving you 90 days to petition the U.S. Tax Court before any additional tax is assessed.9Taxpayer Advocate Service. Letter 525 Audit Report/Letter Giving Taxpayer 30 Days to Respond A notice about a return you never filed is a warning sign for identity theft. Someone may have used your Social Security number to file in your name, usually to claim a refund. Letter 5071C often appears in this scenario because the IRS already flagged the return as suspicious.7Taxpayer Advocate Service. Letter 5071 C Use the IRS Identity Verification Service online or call the number in the letter to tell the IRS you did not file that return. File Form 14039, the Identity Theft Affidavit, and consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus to block further misuse. Ignoring an IRS notice sets off an escalation that gets harder to reverse at every stage. A CP14 is the starting point. Silence brings follow-up notices, then a CP504 (Intent to Levy), then an LT11 or Letter 1058 (Final Notice Before Levy). Once 30 days pass after that final notice without a response, the IRS can act without further warning.6Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Your LT11 Notice or Letter 1058 From that point the IRS can garnish wages by contacting your employer directly, without any court order. It can freeze your bank account for 21 days and then withdraw funds up to the amount owed. It can file a Notice of Federal Tax Lien against your property, which becomes public record and damages your credit. Physical seizures of vehicles or real estate are possible but uncommon. You also lose your right to a Collection Due Process hearing once those deadlines pass, and that hearing is the strongest tool for stopping enforcement and negotiating alternatives.8Internal Revenue Service. Collection Due Process (CDP) A late response still helps, but puts you in a weaker spot. If you can do nothing else before the deadline, call the IRS to acknowledge the notice and talk through your options. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization inside the IRS that steps in when normal channels aren’t working. It’s free, and it serves both individuals and businesses.12Internal Revenue Service. Who May Use the Taxpayer Advocate Service You may qualify if a tax problem is causing financial hardship, if your issue has gone unresolved for more than 30 days, or if the IRS missed a date it promised a response. It’s especially worth contacting when a levy or lien is already in motion.Respond Before the Deadline on the Notice
If You Owe and Can’t Pay in Full
If You Think the IRS Is Wrong
If the Letter Is About a Return You Didn’t File
What Happens If You Ignore It
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