A CP14 notice is a letter that you receive from the IRS that indicates you have a balance due. Lately, many of our clients have received these notices even though they do not have a balance. In this article, I've highlighted some of the reasons why this occurs and how you can resolve the issue.
Pro Tips! If you try to call and receive an automatic message to call back tomorrow (due to staffing shortages), hang up and try again. It may take about 30 minutes, but you'll eventually get through to hold. Once you are on hold, you should wait until you speak with a live agent. 7:00 AM seems to be the best time to call.
If you reach an agent who insists that you have a payment due even though you've already paid, thank them for their time, hang up, and call back. Just because an agent says you owe something does not mean you owe it.
Yes, you can also work with your CPA on this matter. They will probably have direct line access to the IRS, but as a warning, it's also taking them about 90 minutes to get through to a live person sometimes. This is not a quick and easy process, unfortunately.
The IRS continues to struggle to catch up due to budget constraints, employee retention, and the 2020 COVID shutdown. In discussions with agents, they are hopeful that they will be caught up by the end of 2022 or possibly 2023. This is not a problem isolated to the IRS either. It can be experienced with state-level taxes too. States have really slimmed down staffing call centers and sometimes only allow access to those individuals through online/e-mail-type programs. The IRS Statement on balance due notices (CP-14) provides more information on this topic.
If you have a payment due to the IRS, we strongly recommend making it electronically. You can make that payment via https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay.
For questions or requests for assistance with notices, please complete the form below.