Desperate for reliable and ethical companies to help with IRS audit letter - freaking out!

Thank you for the reassurance! How long do you think it will take for them to respond to what I sent? And what happens if they reject my explanation? The part that's freaking me out is they're saying I didn't report some investment income, but I definitely did - it's right there on my return.

The IRS typically takes 8-12 weeks to respond to CP2000 responses, though sometimes it can take longer depending on their workload and the complexity of your case. Try to be patient during this time - I know it's stressful waiting! If they reject your explanation, they'll send you another notice explaining why they disagree with your response. At that point, you'd have additional options including requesting an appeal, providing more documentation, or potentially seeking professional help from a tax professional like an Enrolled Agent or CPA who specializes in tax controversy. Since you have clear documentation showing you reported the investment income, you're in a strong position - just make sure you've highlighted exactly where on your return the disputed income appears.

How does taxr.ai work with actual IRS communication though? Do they just give you a report or do they help you actually respond to the IRS? I got a CP2000 for apparently unreported stock sales and I'm completely lost.

Is this actually legit? I've heard of so many tax "help" scams that prey on people when they're stressed about IRS notices. How do you know they're not just grabbing your tax info?

They don't communicate with the IRS directly - they give you a detailed analysis report that pinpoints exactly what's causing the discrepancy. In my case, they highlighted which specific items the IRS was questioning and provided me with a template response I could customize. I still had to send the response myself through the IRS portal, but I knew exactly what to say and which documentation to include. Regarding security concerns, I was skeptical too initially. What gave me confidence was that they use bank-level encryption, plus they don't ask for sensitive info like SSNs or bank details - just the tax documents themselves. They also have a pretty solid privacy policy that prohibits them from selling your data. I researched them before using the service and found legitimate reviews from tax professionals who recommend it.

How does this even work? The IRS phone system is notoriously impossible to get through. Are they just calling repeatedly until they get lucky or what?

Sorry but this sounds like BS. Nothing can get you through to the IRS faster. They're understaffed and overwhelmed. I've tried everything and there's no "secret trick" to jumping the queue.

They use a combination of technology and timing strategies to navigate the IRS phone system efficiently. It's not about "cutting in line" - they've analyzed the IRS call patterns and know exactly when to call, which options to select, and how to navigate the system to maximize your chances of reaching a human. Their system basically does the waiting and navigating for you, then calls you when they've reached a representative. It's definitely not BS - the IRS is absolutely overwhelmed, which is exactly why services like this exist. I was skeptical too until I tried it. The thing is, there actually are better and worse times to call, and specific navigation paths through the phone tree that have higher success rates. They've just figured out the optimal approach through data analysis and thousands of test calls.

That's actually exactly what's happening - it's investment income from a stock sale. How did you prove to them that you did report it correctly? Did you have to send in a specific form or just explain it in the response letter?

I sent them a copy of the original 1099-B I received (the one I used when filing), along with my Schedule D and Form 8949 that showed I had reported the transactions. Then I explained in my response letter exactly which line items were being questioned and where they could find those exact amounts on my return. The key was being super specific and making it extremely easy for them to verify what I was saying. I literally wrote things like "The $12,345 amount referenced in paragraph 2 of your notice can be found on line 3 of my Schedule D, which matches line 1 of Form 8949 as shown on the attached documents." I basically created a roadmap that connected their questions directly to my filing documentation. That approach worked well because it minimized the work they had to do to verify my explanation.

100% agree! Those companies are predatory. My colleague went with one of the big national firms and paid $2,500 for them to basically fill out a form response. The commercials make it sound like they have some special relationship with the IRS but they absolutely don't. If you do need professional help, look for a local CPA or Enrolled Agent who specializes in tax controversy. They'll charge a reasonable hourly rate instead of those massive upfront fees, and you'll get personalized help from someone who actually looks at your specific situation.

Thanks for the warning! I actually got a call from one of those companies right after I got my letter (no idea how they knew?) and they wanted $2,800 upfront. Felt super sketchy so I didn't go with them. Good to know my instincts were right!