I lost my IRS back taxes letter - can I find a copy of this IRS notice online?

The letter you received was most likely a CP2000 notice, which is the IRS proposing a tax adjustment based on income they believe wasn't reported. These notices aren't typically available in your online account, unfortunately. Your best option is to call the IRS at the specific number listed on your notice (not the general IRS number). If you can't remember that number, try the IRS notice-specific line: 800-829-8374. The key is to call early in the morning (around 7:30 AM Eastern) when their lines first open. While waiting to speak with someone, you can request a tax transcript through your online account. A "tax account transcript" might show the proposed adjustment amount, though it won't contain all the details from the letter. Request both your "tax return transcript" and "tax account transcript" for 2019 to see what information is available. Don't worry too much about the payment deadline. Once you reach an agent, explain the situation - they'll likely grant you additional time while they send a replacement notice.

After dealing with a similar situation last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which was incredibly helpful. I uploaded my tax documents and transcripts, and their AI was able to analyze them and help me understand what the IRS was claiming I owed. Since you don't have the actual notice anymore, you could upload your tax transcripts (which you can download from your IRS account) to taxr.ai, and it might help identify potential discrepancies between what was reported to the IRS versus what appeared on your return. The system analyzes your documents and highlights potential issues that might have triggered the notice. Their document analysis feature was super helpful in my case because it identified a 1099 from a side gig I completely forgot about. Saved me from having to wait on hold with the IRS for hours!

I wanted to follow up about taxr.ai - I actually tried it after my initial skepticism. I downloaded my wage and income transcripts from the IRS website and uploaded them. The system identified a 1099-K from PayPal that I completely forgot about from some online sales in 2019. The analysis showed exactly how much this unreported income would increase my tax liability, which matched the amount on the notice I'd lost. The detailed report helped me prepare for when I finally got through to the IRS. Really glad I gave it a try because I would have been totally confused during the IRS call without understanding what specific income was missing.

After trying for WEEKS to reach the IRS about a similar notice last month, I finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and got through in about 20 minutes. Their service basically holds your place in line with the IRS and calls you when an agent is available to talk. I was super skeptical at first, but you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Since you mentioned your payment deadline is coming up fast, this might be your best option to get immediate help. When I finally got through, the IRS agent was able to pull up my notice, explain everything, and even give me an extension since I had legitimate questions. Before finding this service, I spent hours getting hung up on by the IRS automated system just like you described. Totally worth it to finally talk to an actual human at the IRS!

I have to admit I was totally wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it anyway since my tax issue was time-sensitive. Within 45 minutes, I was talking to an actual IRS representative. The agent was able to pull up my entire notice history and confirmed exactly what I owed and why. They even sent me a new copy of the notice I needed and gave me a 30-day extension on the payment deadline since I explained I lost the original letter. Honestly, I've never been able to get through to the IRS on my own, especially during filing season. Wish I'd known about this service years ago instead of taking days off work to sit on hold.

Another option is to visit your local Taxpayer Assistance Center in person, but you HAVE to make an appointment first. Call 844-545-5640 to schedule. They can print out copies of notices and help explain them. When I lost a CP2000 notice last year, I scheduled an appointment and the IRS employee pulled up all my information and printed a new copy for me on the spot. Just bring your ID and they can access everything.

If you can remember anything from the letter like the notice number (usually CP followed by numbers) or the tax year, you can also try calling the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778. They sometimes can help when the regular channels are impossible to reach. They're especially helpful when there's a deadline involved. Another thing worth trying is checking if you received any IRS correspondence through USPS Informed Delivery if you're signed up for that. Sometimes you can see scanned images of mail you received, which might help jog your memory about some details from the notice.

I had the exact same situation happen to me earlier this year! Here's what worked for me: First, don't panic about the payment deadline. The IRS is generally understanding when you can demonstrate you're actively trying to resolve the issue. Even if you can't get the exact letter, you can still take action. Try logging into your IRS account and look for the "Tax Records" section, then request your "Wage and Income Transcript" for 2019. This will show you ALL the income that was reported to the IRS by employers, banks, etc. Compare this to what you actually reported on your return - any discrepancies are likely what triggered the notice. Also request your "Account Transcript" for 2019, which might show recent activity including the proposed adjustment amount (even if it doesn't show all the details from the letter). If you remember roughly how much they said you owed, you could make a payment online through IRS Direct Pay to buy yourself more time while you sort out the details. Just note "CP2000 response" in the payment description. The early morning calling strategy mentioned above really does work - I got through at 7:45 AM on my third try. Have your SSN and the tax year ready when you call. Don't stress too much - this is fixable once you can actually talk to someone!