Hey Malik, I'm really glad to see you're working through these systematically now! That initial panic is totally understandable - I would have reacted the same way seeing that pile of certified mail. Your discovery about the address variations is spot on - the IRS computer system is notorious for treating "123 Main St" and "123 Main Street" as completely different addresses. I've seen people get triplicate notices just because their address was recorded slightly differently in different IRS databases. For those old business notices from 2021, definitely prioritize getting that resolved quickly. The IRS automation doesn't know your business is closed, so it just keeps generating notices expecting returns that will never be filed. Make sure you have your state dissolution paperwork handy when you respond - that's usually the key document they need to stop the notice cycle. The "response to your inquiry" letters you never inquired about are unfortunately common too. Their system sometimes generates automatic responses to communications that were never sent, or responses to letters from other taxpayers that got misfiled. Just another quirk of dealing with a massive bureaucracy. You're handling this exactly right by organizing everything by issue rather than trying to respond to each individual letter. Keep us posted on how the responses go!

@GalaxyGazer It took me about 2 hours to go through all 15 letters once I calmed down and got organized. I made a simple spreadsheet with columns for: notice type, tax year, issue description, and deadline date. That helped me see the patterns immediately. The breakthrough moment was when I realized that what looked like 15 different problems was actually just 4 distinct issues: the CP2000 income discrepancy (5 copies due to address variations), the dissolved business notices (4 letters), estimated tax payments (3 letters), and those weird "response to inquiry" letters (3 letters). My advice: don't try to read them all at once. Take them one by one, make notes, and look for the notice numbers at the top. CP2000, CP2501, etc. - same numbers usually mean related issues even if sent to different address formats. The hardest part was staying calm enough to read carefully. Once you get past that initial terror, it becomes more like solving a puzzle than facing financial doom. You've got this!

Has anyone here used TurboTax for this kind of situation? I'm having the same issue as OP but wondering if the tax software will figure it out automatically or if I need to do something special.

I'm a newer member here but wanted to share what I learned from a similar situation. Like others mentioned, Form 8919 isn't the right form since you're properly classified as an employee with a W-2. The key thing to check is whether your employer is correctly handling tip reporting and withholding. If you reported tips to your employer (which it sounds like you did), they should be withholding Social Security and Medicare taxes on both your hourly wage AND your reported tips. The fact that nothing was withheld suggests a payroll processing error. I'd recommend checking with your employer's payroll department first - they may need to issue a corrected W-2. If they're unresponsive or the issue isn't resolved, you might need to contact the IRS directly to report the employer's failure to withhold required taxes. This is different from Form 8919, which is specifically for worker misclassification disputes. Make sure to keep documentation of your tip reporting (Form 4070 or equivalent records) in case you need to prove you properly reported your tips to your employer.

I went through something very similar when I changed my name after getting divorced. Filed my return with my maiden name by mistake even though I'd already updated everything else. The IRS processed it just fine - took maybe 2 extra weeks compared to normal, but no major issues. The key thing is that your SSN matches their records, which yours does. They sent me a simple letter asking me to confirm the name discrepancy, I mailed back a copy of my court documents showing the name change, and that was it. Your medical insurance verification shouldn't be affected since most systems cross-reference by SSN primarily. If you're really worried, you can always call the IRS hotline, but honestly I think you'll be fine. The fact that everything else on your return is accurate works in your favor.

I actually dealt with this exact scenario two years ago when I legally changed my name due to marriage but filed before updating my Social Security records. Here's what I learned: the IRS uses what they call "name control" matching, which is pretty forgiving for minor discrepancies. Since your SSN is correct and all your financial information matches, you're in good shape. The system will likely flag it for manual review, but that just means a human will look at it rather than it being automatically rejected. I ended up getting my refund about 3 weeks later than expected, and the only correspondence I received was a simple form letter asking me to verify the name change - no penalties or major issues. For your medical insurance verification concerns, most healthcare systems primarily use SSN for tax document matching anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem. If you want peace of mind, you can call the IRS taxpayer assistance line, but honestly, I'd just wait it out unless you start seeing unusual delays or receive specific correspondence asking for clarification.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - since your mom had a stroke and likely qualifies as disabled, she might be eligible for an IRS provision called "Disability Discharge." This isn't widely known but can be huge. I discovered this after my husband became disabled. You'll need medical documentation showing permanent disability, but if approved, it can result in forgiveness of certain tax debts. It's not guaranteed and doesn't apply to all types of tax debt, but definitely worth investigating given her stroke and ongoing health issues. Also, make sure to check if your state has similar provisions for state tax debt - many states have parallel programs for disability-related tax relief.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this overwhelming situation. As someone who works in tax resolution, I want to add a few critical points that could really help your mom's case. First, given that she was self-employed and dealing with mental health issues, there's a good chance the IRS may not have accurate records of her actual income during those years. Self-employed individuals often have the IRS estimate their income based on industry averages, which can be way higher than reality. Getting those returns filed with actual income figures could significantly reduce what she owes. Second, her stroke and ongoing health issues could qualify her for "reasonable cause" relief from penalties. This is separate from hardship status and can result in substantial penalty reductions. You'll need medical documentation, but given the severity of her condition, this could eliminate a huge portion of her debt. Also consider that if she had very low income in some of those years, she may not have owed much (or anything) for those periods. Self-employed people only owe self-employment tax if their net earnings exceed $400 annually. The most important step right now is getting those returns filed to establish the actual tax liability rather than letting the IRS continue to estimate. Everything else becomes much clearer once you know what she actually owes versus what penalties and interest have accumulated.

Had to call them last month and they asked for my SSN, full name, DOB, current address, filing status from my last return, and my AGI from 2023. They also wanted to know my bank account info since I got direct deposit. The rep was actually pretty nice about it - just have your tax return and ID ready and you'll be fine! The verification part only took like 5 minutes, it was the wait time that killed me lol

They might also ask about prior year returns if there's any discrepancy or if you're dealing with multiple tax years. Sometimes they'll verify your employer name from your W-2 or ask about dependents if you claimed any. Pro tip: have a pen ready to write down reference numbers and the rep's name/ID number - you'll need those if you have to call back later. Good luck getting through! 📞