IRS letters · CP2000 · English / Español
Got a CP2000 from the IRS? Here is what it means.
A CP2000 says the income or payments the IRS has on file don't match your return, and proposes changes. It is not a bill. I help you check every line against your records and prepare your answer, in English or Spanish.
What a CP2000 is
- The IRS compares your return with the W-2s, 1099s and other forms that employers, banks and apps sent it. A CP2000 lists what did not match.
- It proposes changes, and the amount it shows can be wrong: a 1099 counted twice, income you already reported in another place, or a cost basis the IRS did not have.
- It is not a bill, but it needs an answer by the date printed on the notice.
Good to know
- Answer by the response date on the notice. If you need more time, you can ask for it through one of the notice's reply options: upload, fax or mail.
- If you agree and have nothing else to report, you sign the response form. You don't need to amend your return.
- If you disagree with all or part of it, you say so on the response form and send the documents that show why.
- If you don't answer, the IRS may send another notice and a bill.
- If you do owe, interest builds until the tax is paid, so settling sooner costs less.
- The IRS does not start contact by text, email or social media. Many notices also appear in your IRS Online Account.
What to have ready
- Every page of the notice, including the response form
- Your tax return for the year on the notice
- The forms the notice lists, such as W-2s and 1099s, and your own records for them
- For stock or crypto sales: what you paid (your cost basis)
- Anything you already sent the IRS about it
The request form on this site never asks for a Social Security number.
Other IRS letters I can help you read
- Identity verification letters, such as 5071C or 4883C
- Balance-due notices, such as CP14
- Letters about a year you never filed
How it works
- Send the notice Send photos of every page of the notice with your request.
- Check every line I compare what the IRS lists with your return and your records, and tell you where it is right and where it is not.
- Answer on time I prepare your response and the documents that back it up; you review it, sign it and send it by the response date.
Questions
Is a CP2000 a bill?
No. It proposes changes to your return and asks for your answer. A bill can follow if you agree with the changes or don't answer.
Do I have to pay what it says?
Not necessarily. The amount is a proposal. If your records show it is wrong in whole or in part, you disagree on the response form and send the proof.
Should I file an amended return?
Usually not. You answer with the response form. An amended return (Form 1040-X) is only for other income, credits or expenses you also need to report, and then you write "CP2000" at the top of it.
The response date has already passed. What now?
Send your request anyway with every letter you have received. The next step depends on which letter the IRS has sent since.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the notice and how many items it lists. You get a quote before any work starts.