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Why you could have gotten an IRS notice letter

|Tax Attorney · Villanova University School of Law · Admitted in Delaware, New Jersey, United States Tax Court|June 9, 2020|3 min read

The IRS sends out millions of letters each year notifying taxpayers of important things to remember or address.

If you get one of these letters with a code, you may or may not have to respond to the letter — depending on the notice.

Read the letter thoroughly to learn what you need to do and respond to the letter accordingly.

The reason(s) why you got an IRS letter

Here are a few reasons why you could have gotten an IRS letter:

  • You have a balance due
  • You are due a larger or smaller refund
  • They have a question about your tax return
  • They need to verify your identity
  • They need additional information
  • They changed your return
  • They need to notify you of delays in processing your return
  • Next steps

You have a balance due

You could have missed your payment deadline, forgot to pay, or owe more than you thought.

If you are an individual taxpayer, you may access your account (or create an account) on the IRS page to see how much you owe.

You are due a larger or smaller refund

The IRS will notify you if your refund will be larger or smaller than initially stated. After further research and validation, they may denote they were wrong in their first quote.

If you are an individual taxpayer, you may access your account (or create an account) on the IRS page to see how much you owe.

They have a question about your tax return

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If you were not fully clear about what you paid or got paid, they may have more questions for you.

They need to verify your identity

An incorrect social security number may bring back incorrect results. If your SSN is different than the one linked to your driver’s license, then there will be issues.

They may be sending you a letter to clarify the identity information you provided.

They need additional information

Beyond the information you provided, they may need additional clarification from you.

They changed your return

If you are an individual taxpayer, you may access your account (or create an account) on the IRS page to see how much you owe.

They need to notify you of delays in processing your return

Sometimes things take longer than previously planned. The IRS will send you a letter if this is happening.

Next steps

The IRS may be giving you additional steps beyond what you have already done.


At McCauley Law Offices, P.C., our lawyers will find a solution to your tax problems, no matter how complex your IRS issue is. View our services and contact us (or call 610-388-4474) to schedule a free consultation with one of our tax attorneys. View and purchase Gregory McCauley’s published work “TAXJAMS: Simple Solutions” on Amazon. From our office in Chester County, Pennsylvania, we find tax solutions for clients throughout the country.

Gregory McCauley Jr., Esq.

About the Author

Gregory McCauley Jr., Esq.

Tax Attorney · Villanova University School of Law · Admitted in Delaware, New Jersey, United States Tax Court

Gregory McCauley Jr. is an experienced tax attorney who has personally represented more than 1,000 clients in matters ranging from civil tax controversy and IRS examinations to criminal tax defense, U.S. Tax Court litigation, and complex business disputes. His practice is built on a foundation his c...

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