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Question: I got a letter supposedly from the IRS saying that I have a balance due, but I paid my taxes. Is this a scam? Usually the tax scams are texts, emails or phone calls.
Answer: The Internal Revenue Service mailed out some erroneous CP-14 notices mistakenly telling taxpayers they had a balance due, and it sounds like that’s what happened in your case — so the letter would be a mistake but not a scam.
In a notice posted on its website July 27, the IRS said that some payments made for 2021 federal income tax returns were not correctly applied to joint taxpayer accounts, resulting in those taxpayers receiving erroneous CP-14 notices.
“Taxpayers who receive a notice but paid the tax they owed in full and on time, electronically or by check, should not respond to the notice at this time. The IRS is researching the matter and will provide an update as soon as possible. Taxpayers who paid only part of the tax reported due on their 2021 joint return, should pay the remaining balance or follow instructions on the notice to enter into an installment agreement or request additional collection alternatives. Taxpayers can ensure that their payment is on their account by checking Online Account under the SSN that made the payment. Note that any assessed penalties and interest will be automatically adjusted when the payment(s) are applied correctly,” according to the IRS…
