IRS mail arrives in a standard white envelope with the return address listed as "Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service". Inside, it contains official letterhead with the IRS logo, a specific notice or letter number (e.g., CP2000, CP14) in the top right corner, your tax ID or SSN, and details on actions required.
Real IRS letters will include your tax identification or Social Security number, and a specific reason for the correspondence such as a balance due, a refund adjustment, or a request for additional information. Always check the letterhead and the contact information provided.
Read the notice carefully
Some IRS notices are sent via certified mail, such as the Notice of Intent to Levy, while others are mailed via regular post, like changes made to your tax return. Read all IRS letters and notices you receive, both certified and via regular mail.
Read the letter carefully.
Most IRS letters and notices are about federal tax returns or tax accounts. Each notice deals with a specific issue and includes any steps the taxpayer needs to take. A notice may reference changes to a taxpayer's account, taxes owed, a payment request or a specific issue on a tax return.
Review common IRS letters and notices: Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter. Contact IRS customer service directly to authenticate it. Verify any collection notice from a private collection agency has the same Taxpayer Authentication Number as the Notice CP40 the taxpayer received from the IRS.
The IRS mails letters or notices to taxpayers for a variety of reasons including:
You know the IRS might be investigating you through official mail (first contact), phone calls (often with automated messages to IRS.gov), or in-person visits, but signs of a criminal probe include contact with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) agents, subpoenas to you or your bank, questions to your accountant/bank, unusual account activity (freezing/refusing transactions), or agents suddenly going silent after an audit. Key indicators are official IRS letters, contact from CI special agents, third-party inquiries, and formal summonses for records, signaling serious scrutiny beyond a simple audit.
It may be about a specific issue on your federal tax return or account, or may tell you about changes to your account, ask you for more information, or request a payment. You can handle most of this correspondence without calling or visiting an IRS office if you follow the instructions in the document.
The audit notice will usually come in a plain white envelope with a clear insert to show your name and address. The audit notice will not have a postage stamp on it. It will have a postage meter stamp on it or have no postage at all. These are clues that the notice is actually from the IRS.
What happens if you ignore it: After the deadline passes, the IRS can levy bank accounts, garnish wages, and seize property without further notice. You lose critical appeal rights that would have stopped these actions.
If you receive an IRS notice or letter
We may send you a notice or letter if: You have a balance due. Your refund has changed. We have a question about your return.
The IRS is a government agency and the audit letter is sent by certified mail.
Don't reply unless instructed to do so.
There is usually no need for a taxpayer to reply to a notice unless specifically instructed to do so. On the other hand, taxpayers who owe should reply with a payment. IRS.gov has information about payment options.
Remember, you will be contacted initially by mail. The IRS will provide all contact information and instructions in the letter you receive. If we conduct your audit by mail, our letter will request additional information about certain items shown on the tax return such as income, expenses, and itemized deductions.
IRS Audit Red Flags 2023: 25 Tax Return Audit Risk Factors
The government has no legal obligation to notify you that you're under investigation. There is no constitutional right to know that prosecutors are building a case against you.
Check which tax year the notice is for and follow the instructions provided; you usually have 30 days to respond. Compare the IRS adjustments to your records and tax return. If you agree with the notice, indicate that on the response form and send a check or money order for any additional taxes due.
To tell if an IRS letter is real, check for typos and poor grammar, verify it contains specific personal info (like the last 4 of your SSN), look for an official notice number (CP or LTR) and logo, and ensure it doesn't demand immediate payment via gift cards or threaten arrest, as scammers do. If in doubt, log into your secure IRS Online Account or call an official IRS phone number (not one from the letter) to verify.
How to Respond to a Letter From the IRS
You know the IRS might be investigating you through official mail (first contact), phone calls (often with automated messages to IRS.gov), or in-person visits, but signs of a criminal probe include contact with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) agents, subpoenas to you or your bank, questions to your accountant/bank, unusual account activity (freezing/refusing transactions), or agents suddenly going silent after an audit. Key indicators are official IRS letters, contact from CI special agents, third-party inquiries, and formal summonses for records, signaling serious scrutiny beyond a simple audit.
Notice of Tax Due and Demand for Payment, Notice CP14, Balance Due $5 or More, No Math Error, is the first and most common notice sent to taxpayers.