News

What to do if You Get a Notice from the IRS

Each year the IRS mails millions of notices. Here’s what you should do if you receive a notice from the IRS:

1. Don’t ignore it. You can respond to most IRS notices quickly and easily. And it’s important that you reply promptly.

2. IRS notices usually deal with a specific issue about your tax return

or tax account. For example, it may say the IRS has corrected an error on your tax return. Or it may ask you for more information.

3. Read it carefully and follow the instructions about what you need to do.

4. If it says that the IRS corrected your tax return, review the information in the notice and compare it to your tax return.

If you agree, you don’t need to reply unless a payment is due.

If you don’t agree, it’s important that you respond to the IRS. Write a letter that explains why you don’t agree. Make sure to include information and any documents you want the IRS to consider. Include the bottom tear-off portion of the notice with your letter. Mail your reply to the IRS at the address shown in the lower left part of the notice. Allow at least 30 days for a response from the IRS.

5. You can handle most notices

without calling or visiting the IRS. If you do have questions, call the phone number

in the upper right corner of the notice. Make sure you have a copy of your tax return and the notice with you when you call.

6. Keep copies of any notices you get from the IRS.

7. Don’t fall for phone and phishing email scams that use the IRS as a lure. The IRS first contacts people about unpaid taxes by mail – not by phone. The IRS does not contact taxpayers by email, text or social media about their tax return or tax account.

With the federal government shutting down at midnight on Sept. 30, the Tax Court announced that it is closing during the shutdown. Unlike the other federal courts, which will remain open for at least

10 days, the Tax Court stopped accepting petitions, motions, and other papers, and electronic filings at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The court also said it

will serve no documents itself, starting Oct. 1. According to the notice, any updates or resumption in operations will be announced on the court’s website.

During the time that the court is closed, for due dates that are established by the Tax Court, deadlines will be extended for the number of days court operations have been suspended, up

to a maximum of five days from the date the court resumes operating. Also, extended deadlines that fall on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays will be extended to the next business day.

The Tax

Court explained that it cannot extend due dates set by statute, such as the Sec. 6213(a) deadline to file a tax court petition to redetermine a deficiency within 90 days of receiving the deficiency notice and the 30-day deadline for filing a petition challenging a lien or levy under Sec. 6330(d)(1). During the shutdown, taxpayers will still be required to meet the regular deadlines for these actions.

Because the court will not take electronic filings and no hand deliveries will be accepted at the courthouse during the shutdown, taxpayers will have to send documents by U.S. mail (which is still operating during the shutdown) or by approved private express delivery services. Taxpayers can rely on the Sec. 7502(a) rule that a timely mailed petition is treated as timely filed, as of the date of the U.S. postal service postmark on the envelope in which the petition was mailed. Under Sec. 7502(f), petitions sent using designated private delivery services get the benefit of this rule.

Tax refunds

In other government shutdown news, the IRS announced on its website on Tuesday that, “Tax refunds will not be issued until normal government operations resume.” This marked a change from its shutdown contingency plan, under which 859 employees in its Information Technology Services Enterprise Operations were excepted from the general shutdown furlough to ensure “refunds continue to process” and which said that “Without this support, . . . refunds to America’s taxpayers would not occur.”

Below is the link to track down your

hard earned refund:

https://sa1.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp