By notice number
IRS notices and letters, decoded
Look up the number in the top right corner of your IRS letter. Each page says what the notice means, why you got it, the deadline printed on it, what happens if you ignore it, and what to do this week.
Before you panic
- The IRS sends letters first. It does not call, text or email about a balance you have never heard of. A call or text is a scam.
- Every notice has a response deadline printed on it. The clock started on the date of the letter, not the day you opened it.
- Most notices are fixable with a phone call or a payment plan. The expensive ones are the ones that were ignored.
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All notices
- CP14A CP14 is the IRS's first bill: it says you filed a return that shows tax due and the amount was not paid in full.
- CP2000A CP2000 is not a bill; it is a proposal to change your return because income reported to the IRS by employers, banks or brokers does not match what you filed.
- CP501A CP501 is the first reminder after a CP14 that you still have an unpaid balance; nothing has escalated yet, but the clock is running.
- CP503A CP503 is the second reminder that a balance is unpaid; it is the last routine reminder before the IRS announces its intent to levy.
- CP504A CP504 says the IRS intends to seize your state tax refund and may take further collection action, including a lien, if the balance is not paid.
- LT11An LT11 (or Letter 1058) is the IRS's final warning before it levies your wages, bank accounts or other assets, and it gives you 30 days to request a Collection Due Process hearing.