What You Should and Shouldn’t Do With Mail from the IRS

Take timely action. If you owe and you act quickly, you minimize additional interest and penalty charges.

Review the information. If the notice is about a changed or corrected tax return, you should compare the information with the original tax return. If you agree, make notes about the corrections on your original tax return and keep it for your records.

Respond to a disputed notice. If you disagree with the IRS, you should respond with a letter explaining why. Be sure to send it to the address on the contract stub included in the notice. Include documents for the IRS to review when considering the dispute.

Avoid Scams. The first contact from the IRS will typically be through the mail. The IRS will never contact your using social media or a text message. If you’re unsure if you owe money to the IRS click here to view your tax account information.

Don’t ignore it. Letters from the IRS are usually about federal tax returns or tax accounts. Each letter will include a specific issue with instructions.

Don’t throw it away. It is important to keep these notices for reference for three years from the date you filed the tax return.

Don’t panic. Most of the time, all you need to do is read the letter and follow its instructions.

Don’t reply (Unless instructed to do so). You normally don’t need to respond. However, if you owe, you should respond with a payment. Find information about payment options here.