Plain-English help with the IRS

Got a letter from the IRS? Start here.

Look up your notice to see what it means, how long you have to respond and exactly what to do next. 44 notices explained, step-by-step guides and free calculators.

**Most IRS letters are not emergencies.** Many are proposals or reminders you can answer by mail or online. The key is the response date.

What kind of letter is it?

Browse notices by what they are about.

All notices →

Balance due6 notices Collection, liens and levies7 notices Changes to your return9 notices Audits and examinations5 notices Identity verification6 notices Unfiled returns4 notices Refunds4 notices Business notices3 notices

The notices people look up most

From a first balance-due reminder to a final notice before a levy.

CP2000Proposed changes to your tax return (income or payment mismatch)30 daysHigh CP14Balance due, first notice (no math error)Pay by the date on the noticeMedium CP501Reminder of balance duePay by the date on the noticeMedium CP503Second reminder of unpaid balancePay by the date on the noticeHigh CP504Notice of intent to levy (state tax refund)Pay immediatelyHigh LT11Final notice of intent to levy and notice of your right to a hearing (also Letter 1058)30 daysCritical Letter 5071CVerify your identity and tax returnAs soon as possibleHigh CP3219AStatutory Notice of Deficiency (90-day letter)90 daysCritical

Common problems, solved step by step

Owe more than you can pay, facing an audit or dealing with identity theft.

All guides →

Older man reading an opened letter while sitting in his parked car

Guide

Can't Pay Your Taxes? What to Do First and Your IRS Options

Owing more than you can pay is common and fixable. File on time anyway, pay what you can, and pick the IRS option that fits your budget.

Woman at a home desk working out a monthly budget beside her laptop

Guide

IRS Payment Plans: Short-Term, Long-Term, Fees and How to Apply

Most people who owe the IRS can spread the bill out. Here is how short-term and long-term plans work, what they cost in 2026, and how to apply.

Man on the phone reading an opened letter at a kitchen island

Guide

IRS Penalty Relief: Automatic Exemption, First Time Abate, More

Many IRS penalties can be removed. A new automatic program now skips some penalties for people with a clean record, and other relief is a phone call away.

Woman organizing receipts and bank statements into folders at a home office desk

Guide

IRS Audit: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Many IRS audits happen by mail and focus on a few items. Here is how audits start, what the IRS can ask for, your rights, and how to respond step by step.

Young woman on a couch reviewing a letter while using a laptop and phone

Guide

Tax Identity Theft: Signs, Form 14039 and the IP PIN

Someone filed a return in your name, or the IRS says you earned wages you never earned. Here is how to confirm tax identity theft, report it the right way, and lock your account.

Man sorting old tax forms into piles by year at a home desk

Guide

Unfiled Tax Returns: How to Catch Up With the IRS

Behind on filing? You are not out of options. Here is how many years to file, how to get your old income records, and how filing now limits penalties and protects refunds.

Free IRS calculators

They run in your browser. We never see what you type.

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Penalty and interest estimator

Estimate late-filing and late-payment penalties plus IRS interest.

Payment plan calculator

See the monthly payment for an IRS payment plan and the setup fees.

Notice deadline calculator

Find the respond-by date for your notice, with weekends and holidays.

Self-employment tax calculator

Self-employment tax, the deduction and quarterly amounts.

Help for your situation

What the IRS expects from you through the year, and the notices you are most likely to see.

Retired woman sorting opened mail and tax papers at a living room desk

Individuals and familiesEmployees, retirees and families

Delivery driver in a parked car checking his phone beside a mileage log

Gig workers and freelancersApp-based work, side income and 1099s

Self-employed tailor entering business receipts into a laptop in her home workshop

Self-employedSole proprietors and Schedule C filers

Bakery owners reviewing payroll papers and a laptop in a back office

Small business ownersEntities, payroll and business notices

Optional

Want worksheets and letter templates?

Everything on IRSV.com is free to read. For people who want more structure, we offer editable Word kits with checklists, reconciliation worksheets and response letters for the most common situations.

Browse the templates

Cover of the Penalty Abatement Request Kit

IRS updates

All updates →

August 21, 2026IRS Interest Rates Stay at 7% for Fourth Quarter 2026
July 13, 2026IRS Raises 2026 Mileage Rate to 76 Cents From July 1
July 8, 2026IRS Replaces First-Time Abate With Automatic Penalty Relief
April 16, 2026IRS Launches Tax Debt Help Tool for People Who Owe

How we work

Every page is checked against IRS.gov, IRS publications, the Internal Revenue Manual, the Taxpayer Advocate Service and the U.S. Tax Court, and each page lists its sources. We update pages when the rules change.

IRSV.com is independent. We are not the IRS, we do not offer "tax relief" services and we never ask for your Social Security number.

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