How to Check the Status of Your CP2000 Notice (and What Happens After You Respond)

To check the status of an IRS CP2000 notice, you can call the phone number printed on the notice (which reaches the automated underreporter unit that handles it, not the general IRS help line), sign in to your IRS online account, or review your account transcript. This article explains each option and what to expect after you respond. It is educational only — not tax advice.

Key takeaways

• Check status through the phone number on the notice (the automated underreporter, or AUR, unit), your IRS online account, or an account transcript.
• After you respond, review times vary — typically several weeks to a few months, and no particular timeframe is assured.
• There are generally three outcomes: your explanation is accepted, a revised proposal is issued, or the proposal is unchanged.
• Silence does not mean acceptance — keep watching your mail and keep proof of what you sent.
• Complex, high-value, late, uncertain, or disputed situations may warrant professional review.

How do you check the status of a CP2000 notice?

A few options can help you see where things stand. Which one is easiest depends on what you have handy:

• Call the phone number printed on your notice. That number reaches the IRS underreporter (AUR) unit that handles CP2000s, rather than the general help line.
• Sign in to your IRS online account at irs.gov to review notices and recent activity on your account.
• Request or review your account transcript, which records activity on your account for that tax year at a high level.
• Keep the notice number, the tax year, and your proof of mailing handy when you check, so you can reference what you sent.

If you have not responded yet, it can help to first read How to Respond to a CP2000 Notice Step by Step, or start with the basics in What Is an IRS CP2000 Notice?

How long does the IRS take to review a CP2000 response?

Review times vary. After the IRS receives a response, processing typically takes several weeks to a few months, and busy periods can make it longer. No particular timeframe is assured, and this article cannot predict your situation. If you do not hear back within the timeframe the notice describes, you can follow up using the number on the notice. Because timing matters, it also helps to understand the CP2000 response deadline.

What are the possible outcomes after you respond?

After reviewing a response, there are generally three outcomes:

• Your explanation is accepted — the information you provided is accepted and the proposed change is closed or reduced.
• A revised proposal — the IRS may issue a revised or recomputed notice with different figures based on what you provided.
• The proposal is unchanged — the IRS may keep the proposed change; the notice you receive explains the next steps.

Separately, if there is no response by the deadline, the IRS may continue the process. That can include a further notice sometimes called a Statutory Notice of Deficiency (a “90-day letter”). For more on that path, see What Happens If You Don’t Respond to a CP2000 Notice?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming that silence means your response was accepted — it does not; keep watching for follow-up mail.
• Missing follow-up mail. The IRS may send additional notices to the address on file, so keep your address current and check your mail.
• Not keeping proof of mailing or faxing, so you cannot show when and what you sent if you need to follow up.
• Waiting past the deadline before checking or following up.

When to consider professional help

Consider having a qualified tax professional review your notice if the proposed amount is large, the deadline has passed or is close, you do not recognize the income shown, you question the notice but do not have supporting records, or anything is unclear or disputed. A professional can consider your specific circumstances in a way a general article cannot.

For more background on these notices, see the CP2000 Helper blog.

CP2000 Helper can help you organize a response pack before you decide what to send.