You got a letter from the IRS.
Let's figure out what it actually says.
Plain-English meaning, response procedure, deadline source, appeal path, and statute pin for 40 IRS CP and Letter notices. Calm-corrective. Statute-cited. Every page verified against an irs.gov detail page.
Start here · decode in your browser
Decoder · IRS notice or letter
Identify your notice
Pick from the list, or paste the notice text. Everything happens in your browser — we never receive your notice content.
40 notice codes indexed · primary-source verified
Information here is general and educational, not tax advice. The IRS is the only authority that can resolve your notice. For complex cases (CDP rights, 90-day Tax Court window, levy intent), verify with a licensed CPA, EA, or tax attorney before acting.
- Not affiliated with the IRS
- irs.gov primary-source verified
- Statute-cited, not invented
- Runs in your browser — no upload
- Calm-corrective, never alarmist
- 40 notice codes indexed
Most-trafficked notices
The IRS's six most common notices, decoded
First IRS bill telling you a balance is owed for a specific tax year. The notice states the amount due and a payment-due date printed at…
First reminder that a balance is still owed after a previous balance-due notice went unanswered.
Second reminder that a balance is still owed and prior notices have gone unanswered.
Notice of intent to levy: if the balance is not paid immediately, the IRS may seize state tax refunds and pursue further levy action…
Automated underreporter (AUR) notice proposing changes to a tax return based on a mismatch between income or payment information…
Final Notice of Intent to Levy and notification of your right to a Collection Due Process (CDP) hearing. The IRS may seize wages, bank…
From mailbox to resolution
How the decoder works
Four calm steps from an opaque code to the right next action — all client-side, all primary-source verified.
Find the code
Every IRS notice has a code in the upper-right corner — CP14, CP2000, LT11, Letter 5071C. That code determines everything that follows.
Decode it
Pick the code from the catalog or paste your notice text. The match runs entirely in your browser — we never receive your notice content.
Read the response
Plain-English meaning, the response procedure, the deadline source, and the right IRS form — each verified against the official irs.gov detail page.
Act with the IRS
Call the number on the notice, file the cited form, or hire a licensed CPA, EA, or tax attorney. Only the IRS can resolve your notice.
Educational pillars
Beyond the per-notice answer
Each pillar covers a topic that crosses notice types — installment agreements, CDP rights, OIC eligibility, the appeal process. The kind of conditional reasoning Google's AI Overview can't cleanly summarize.
What to do when an IRS notice arrives — first 72 hours
Don't panic. Don't throw it out. Don't pay before reading. Don't call the toll-free numbers in TV tax-resolution ads. Decision tree: identify the notice → response window → action.
CP2000 walkthrough — agree, disagree, or partial
The most-trafficked notice deserves a full walk-through. Receiving CP2000 → reviewing the proposed adjustment → agreeing (sign + return) vs. disagreeing (Form 1040-X with documentation) vs. partial (combined response). When to hire an EA, when DIY is fine.
Installment agreement decoder — Form 9465 + the OPA path
How to set up an installment agreement when you can't pay in full. Online Payment Agreement (OPA), Form 9465 mailed, streamlined vs. partial-pay, fees, and dollar thresholds.
Offer in compromise — eligibility reality check
OIC is a real procedure under IRC §7122 — but most taxpayers do NOT qualify. Form 656 + Form 433-A (OIC), the Reasonable Collection Potential math, why most tax-resolution-mill OIC pitches are predatory, and when an OIC actually makes sense.
Collection Due Process — your CDP rights under IRC §6320 / §6330
When the IRS files a Notice of Federal Tax Lien or sends a final notice of intent to levy (LT11 / Letter 1058 / CP90), the law gives you a one-time right to a hearing in front of the Independent Office of Appeals. Form 12153, the timing window, and Tax Court review of CDP determinations.
Appeal rights — IRS Office of Appeals + Tax Court 90-day path
When informal disputes fail, the Independent Office of Appeals (Form 12203 for exam) and the U.S. Tax Court (90-day statutory-notice-of-deficiency petition window under IRC §6213) are the formal review routes.
Architecture transparency
How our decoder works
The decoder runs in your browser. Pasted notice text never leaves your device. We don't log notice content, sell data, or sync with tax-resolution-mill operators. Read the page that explains exactly what happens at every step — and verify in your browser's network tab.
Read how it worksSite last verified 2026-05-09
Common questions
What this site is — and isn't
Straight answers about what we do, where our facts come from, and why your notice stays on your device.
Calm, not alarm.
An IRS notice is unsettling, but the code on it is knowable. We translate it into plain English, point you to the exact form and deadline, and pin the statute behind every answer — each one verified against an irs.gov detail page. No upload, no countdown timers, no sales calls.
Decode your notice
Have a code in hand? Decode it now.
Pick the code or paste your notice text. Plain-English meaning, response procedure, deadline source, and the cited statute — in seconds, in your browser.
Informational, not tax advice. The IRS is the only authority that can resolve your notice. For complex cases, verify with a licensed CPA, EA, or tax attorney before acting.