IRS & State Notice Resolution
An IRS notice is a proposed change, not a bill you have to accept. Most carry a 30 to 90 day window to respond, and many are wrong because the IRS only sees one side of a transaction. Blue Sage reads the notice, checks it against your records, and files the response, correction, or penalty abatement request on your behalf.
What's included
- Reading and explaining the notice in plain language, usually same week
- CP2000 underreporter responses with supporting documentation
- Balance-due and math-error notice review
- First-time abatement and reasonable cause penalty relief requests
- Amended returns where the notice is right but the original return was not
- Installment agreements and payment plan setup
- State and New York City notices, not just federal
- Power of attorney filing so the agency talks to us instead of you
Who this is for
Anyone holding a letter they do not understand, and anyone who has been ignoring one. The single most expensive thing you can do with a notice is nothing — the response window closes, the proposed assessment becomes final, and what could have been a letter becomes a lien or a levy.
It is also for people who have already paid a notice they should have disputed. Depending on how long ago it was, a claim for refund may still be available.
Deadlines and rules worth knowing
| Item | What applies |
|---|---|
| CP2000 | Proposed change based on income reported to the IRS that does not match your return. Not a bill. Frequently wrong on cost basis for stock and crypto sales. |
| CP14 | First balance-due notice. Interest and penalties continue accruing while it is open. |
| CP504 | Intent to levy. This is the point at which the matter stops being routine. |
| Letter 1058 / LT11 | Final notice of intent to levy and notice of your right to a hearing. Time-critical. |
| Response window | Typically 30 to 90 days from the notice date, not the date you opened it |
| First-time abatement | Often available if you have a clean compliance history for the prior three years |
| Reasonable cause | Illness, records lost in a disaster, or reliance on bad advice can support relief where first-time abatement does not apply |
| If you already paid | A claim for refund may still be possible within the statutory window |
Why so many notices are wrong
The IRS matching system compares what third parties reported about you against what appeared on your return. Brokers report gross proceeds from a stock sale but often not your cost basis. Crypto exchanges report totals with no basis at all. A payment processor reports gross receipts including amounts you refunded.
The system sees income you did not report and proposes tax on the whole amount. Supply the missing side of the transaction and the proposed balance frequently drops substantially or disappears. That is a documentation exercise, not a negotiation, and it is why the letter should be checked before it is paid.
How we work
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Review what exists
We read last year’s return and whatever records you have. Most of what needs fixing is visible quickly.
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Fixed quote in writing
Scope and price before anything starts, counting entities, states, and any cleanup needed.
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File and maintain
Returns prepared and filed, notices answered, and a projection before year end.
Questions
What is a CP2000 notice?
A CP2000 is a proposed change to your return, issued when income reported to the IRS by a third party does not match what you filed. It is not a bill and it is not an audit. It frequently overstates what you owe, because the IRS often has the gross proceeds from a sale but not your cost basis.
How long do I have to respond to an IRS notice?
Most notices give 30 to 90 days from the date printed on the notice, not the date you received or opened it. Missing the deadline generally means the proposed assessment becomes final and your options narrow considerably. Send the notice as soon as it arrives so the window can be checked.
Can IRS penalties be removed?
Often, yes. First-time abatement is available to taxpayers with a clean compliance history for the prior three years and is granted routinely when requested correctly. Where that does not apply, reasonable cause relief may still succeed on grounds such as serious illness, records destroyed in a disaster, or reliance on incorrect professional advice.
Should I just pay the notice to make it go away?
Not before it is checked. A meaningful share of underreporter notices overstate the balance because the agency is missing one side of a transaction. Paying an incorrect notice is harder to reverse than disputing it in the first place, and it also concedes the position for future years.
Last reviewed 11 September 2026 by Fahadun Nabi, Founder, Blue Sage Tax and Accounting Inc.. General information, not advice for your specific situation.
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