What to do when you receive a notice from the IRS?
Taxpayers in Nevada and all other states may be receiving an IRS notice regarding their personal income tax return. By this time of year, the IRS has sent out many notices to individual taxpayers regarding their returns filed in April. The process continues after April for returns recently made under standard extensions.
If the question or issue raised in the notice seems difficult or complex, contact a tax professional right away and have the matter addressed. Where the notice is about a simple, clear-cut error that you understand, follow the instructions accordingly. If it’s not a matter requiring professional assistance, and you nonetheless disagree with the agency’s reasoning, then respond and explain why you dispute its conclusions.
Where you’re not quite sure what the notice is saying or how to respond, you may ask the IRS for clarification or more information. The agency has resources that assist taxpayers in knowing what to do. For example, click this link for guidance on irs.gov/taxtopics/tc651.html what to do in response to a notice from the agency.
However, remember the caveat: don’t try to handle something that you don’t understand. Thus, where there is some doubt as to the importance or long-range impact of the tax issues raised by the IRS, consult with your tax professional first to make sure you don’t get yourself over-extended in the response. If you are the owner of a small business in Nevada, your taxes will likely involve a self-employment tax, business deductions, and other complexities that are best shared with a professional with whom you will ideally have a working relationship.
Source: The Ridgefield Press, “What to do if You Get a Notice from the IRS“, Peggy Riley, Aug. 5, 2014
