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No, you most likely are not going to jail - but you absolutely do need to open and read the letter, because the Internal Revenue Service will not just go away.
There is an understandable tendency on the part of many people to not want to open and read correspondence from the IRS, particularly when they think the letter contains bad news. But the letter may not contain bad news, and if you do not respond you might only make the matter worse - perhaps much worse.
Most importantly, many Internal Revenue Service letters trigger the running of statutory time periods. This means that you must take some action within the time frame specified in the letter. If you do not act within the time period set forth in the letter, you may lose very important rights. Thus, it is imperative that you read any correspondence from the IRS as soon as possible. This cannot be stressed enough.
- How should I correspond with the IRS?
- Can I use a private carrier?
- What should I include?
- I am having trouble telephoning the IRS. What should I do?
- Be prepared when you call the IRS
How should I correspond with the IRS?
When you correspond with the IRS, it is generally a good idea to use certified mail. If the correspondence is in any way "time sensitive", it is definitely a good idea to have a post office date stamp. Thus, for example, if a notice says that you have say 30 days to appeal an assessment or to protest a pending levy, you want to be able to establish that you filed your appeal or protest within the 30-day period. The burden is on you the taxpayer to establish that you mailed the correspondence on a timely basis.
Can I use a private carrier?
In addition to the post office, the IRS recognizes some private carriers, including:
- 1. Airborne Express (Airborne): Overnight Air Express Service, Next Afternoon Service, and Second Day Service.
- 2. Worldwide Express (DHL): DHL Same Day Service and DHL USA Overnight.
- 3. Federal Express (FedEx): FedEx Priority Overnight, FedEx Standard Overnight, and FedEx 2Day.
- 4. United Parcel Service (UPS): UPS Next Day Air, UPS Next Day Air Saver, UPS 2nd Day Air, and UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.
What should I include?
Along with your letter to the Internal Revenue Service , it is generally a good idea to attach copies of any related correspondence you received from the IRS.
If you are sending documents or other information to the IRS, do not send originals - send copies only.
Finally, make a specific request as to some action you want to take and provide a telephone number where you can be reached.
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