What to Do If You Get an IRS Letter: Don’t Ignore It
Getting an IRS letter in the mail can make your stomach drop.
But the worst thing you can do is leave it unopened on the counter.
An IRS notice doesn’t automatically mean you’re being audited or that you’re in serious tax trouble. It does mean there’s something you need to review and, potentially, respond to.
First, Make Sure the IRS Letter Is Legitimate
Before paying anything or calling a number on the notice, verify that the letter is real.
Check your IRS account and compare the notice with your tax records. Also confirm which taxing authority sent it. What looks like an “IRS letter” at first glance could be a notice from your state instead.
Once you know it’s legitimate, don’t ignore it.
What Is an IRS CP14 Notice?
One common IRS letter is the CP14 notice.
A CP14 generally tells you the IRS believes you have unpaid taxes, penalties, or interest. That doesn’t mean you’re being audited. It means the IRS believes there’s a balance that needs your attention.
And don’t automatically pay the amount without reviewing it. Tax notices can contain errors, so compare the notice with your return or contact the tax professional who prepared it.
A Tax Extension Doesn’t Extend Your Payment Deadline
Here’s another mistake that can get expensive.
Filing a tax extension gives you additional time to file your return. It doesn’t automatically give you additional time to pay taxes you owe.
If taxes remain unpaid after the original payment deadline, penalties and interest may continue adding up.
Don’t Let an IRS Notice Sit There
If an IRS letter arrives, your first moves are simple:
-
Open it.
-
Verify that it’s legitimate.
-
Read what the IRS says you owe or need to address.
-
Compare it with your tax return and records.
-
Get professional help if you don’t understand the notice.
Ignoring a tax notice won’t make the problem disappear. Dealing with it early gives you more time to understand what happened and decide what to do next.
Want more practical conversations about taxes, emergency funds, homeownership, and everyday money decisions? Tune in to Becoming Financially Confident.
Licensed Public Accountant
Ralph V. Estep, Jr. is a Delaware-based Licensed Public Accountant (LPA), author, rancher, and media host with more than 30 years of experience in finance, taxation, and small-business leadership. As the founder of Saggio Accounting+PLUS and the creator of the Ask Ralph Media network, Ralph helps entrepreneurs, creators, and everyday families replace money confusion with clarity, confidence, and practical next steps — without shame and without hype.
Ralph's work blends deep professional expertise with a coach's mindset and a communicator's heart. He has held leadership roles across public accounting, financial institutions, law firms, and technology organizations, bringing a rare combination of traditional accounting rigor and modern systems thinking to the people he serves. A graduate of the University of Delaware and Wilmington University (MBA), he is known for turning complex money topics into simple, repeatable frameworks that help people make wiser decisions and build lasting financial stability.
He is the host of Becoming Financially Confident, a live weekday show built on a single conviction: most money stress is not a character problem but a systems problem, and shame is what keeps people from fixing it. The show grew out of Financially Confident Christian, which Ralph hosted for more than 1,200 episodes across eight seasons and earned national recognition. The new show offers the same host and the same feed, opened up to a wider audience.
Through Ask Ralph Media, Ralph hosts several other programs. Grit and Growth Business… Read More
What Is Credit Utilization and Why Does It Matter?
