Even if they do not have an IRS online account, taxpayers who receive these notices can securely respond to the IRS online.
Taxpayers who receive certain IRS notices and are required to send information to the agency can now submit that documentation online via IRS.gov.
By using this new option, which the IRS announced on February 16, tax professionals or their clients can submit documents to the IRS electronically rather than by mail, saving time and effort when dealing with tax problems.
The IRS Acting Commissioner Doug O’Donnell said in a statement that this capability is another step forward in helping taxpayers and improving service. This provides taxpayers with immediate benefits, as they receive nearly instant confirmation that the IRS received their documents. As a result, by eliminating a time-consuming step in the process, issues will be resolved much more quickly. This means that people can have their issues resolved much more quickly, including receiving refunds from affected taxpayers. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year, the IRS will continue to look into improvements like this.
This feature will include nine notices, which could benefit more than 500,000 taxpayers each year, including military personnel serving in combat zones and recipients of important credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC).
Taxpayers may choose to upload their records if they get one of the following notices with the link and access code:
- CP04, which deals with combat zone status.
- CP05A, information request for a refund.
- CP06 and CP06A, deal with the Premium Tax Credit.
- CP08, regarding the CTC.
- CP09, which is about claiming the EITC.
- CP75, pertaining to the EITC.
- CP75a, pertaining to the EITC.
- CP75d, which deals with the EITC and other credits.
No matter if they have an account with the IRS online, taxpayers who receive these notices can securely respond to the IRS online.
In 2021, IRS IT professionals created a working prototype of the Documentation Upload Tool. Since then, the IRS has been testing this feature on a small sample of exam-related notices, and 38% of responses to these notices have been made via secure electronic communications as opposed to conventional mail.
In accordance with the notice’s language, the taxpayer has 30 days from the date of the notice to send us their documents using the Documentation Upload Tool. It contains the link as well as a one-time access code.
- The taxpayer can use any browser to open the link and then enter their unique code, first and last name, and Social Security, individual taxpayer identification, or employee identification number.
- The taxpayer can then securely upload document scans, photos, or digital copies (maximum of 15MB per file, up to 40 files).
- The IRS notifies the taxpayer that it has received the documents, and the IRS agent assigned to the case can manage the sent files.
Information on this topic can be found in Fact Sheet 2023-05, IRS expands secure digital correspondence for taxpayers.
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