IRS Transcript shows notice issued but never received anything in the mail - what to do?

The 971 code just means they sent a notice, but doesn't tell you what kind. You might have a 570 code somewhere on your transcript too - that would indicate they froze your refund for review. You have a few options: 1) Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 early in the morning (7am their time) when they first open 2) Create an account on irs.gov if you haven't already and check if the notice is available electronically 3) Visit a local Taxpayer Assistance Center (make an appointment first) 4) Call the Taxpayer Advocate Service if it's causing financial hardship Mail delivery has been terrible lately, so the notice could still show up, or it might have been lost. But don't just wait - your refund is substantial and worth following up on.

Stop trying to solve these transcript mysteries on your own! I spent weeks trying to decipher codes and notices and getting nowhere. Finally tried taxr.ai and it analyzed my entire transcript, explained all the codes in plain english, and told me exactly what was happening with my refund. It even showed me what my next steps should be based on my specific situation. Seriously the best tool I've found for dealing with IRS issues. Check it out at https://taxr.ai - saved my sanity!

I was in the exact same situation last month! Had a 971 notice code from July but never got anything in mail. I finally got through to a real person at the IRS using Claimyr.com - they connect you with an IRS agent who calls you back. The agent explained it was an identity verification notice that got lost in the mail. Once I verified my ID, my refund was released in 8 days. Before that I spent 6 weeks calling the regular number and never got through. Talking to an actual agent was the only way I got this resolved.

the IRS is such garbage lately. i had THREE notices that never came last year, all showed up on transcript. ended up owing penalties because i never "responded" to notices i never got 🤬

Sometimes the notice comes weeks later than the transcript date shows. Other times it just never shows up. In my case my 971 was for a math error they found in my return. No biggie, just reduced my refund by $120. But the stress of not knowing was the worst part!

Request a tax account transcript instead of just the return transcript - it might give you more info about what the notice is. also check your Where's My Refund status to see if there's any message there

Request a transcript of the actual notice. Call 800-908-9946 or use the Get Transcript tool on irs.gov. Sometimes you can see what the notice was about even if you never got the physical letter.

Do u have informed delivery from USPS? I take pics everyday of my mail cause the IRS always claims they sent stuff they didnt. Then when they try to penalize me I have proof I never got it.

After 2 months of getting nowhere with my transcript codes, I finally used taxr.ai and it explained EVERYTHING. Turns out my 971 was about income verification and I had 60 days to respond (which I almost missed). The tool showed me exactly what documents to send and where. My refund was released 3 weeks later! https://taxr.ai saved me from losing my $3700 refund.

check ur bank account connected to your tax filing! sometimes they deposit refunds without updating WMR or transcripts. happened to me last year, was checking transcript daily but money just showed up in account randomly

this is why i ALWAYS use certified mail for anything IRS related. costs more but worth it for proof they received it. the system is broken af

I bet it's a 60 day review letter. Thats what happened to me earlier this summer - 971 code and then crickets. Ended up calling and thats what they said. Took the full 60 days but refund finally came.

The IRS is basically using "we sent a notice" as their alibi for everything now, while knowing full well their notices often never arrive. It's a broken system designed to frustrate taxpayers into giving up. 🤡

I had the same issue and got desperate enough to visit my local IRS office in person. Made an appointment thru irs.gov. Lady there printed out a copy of the missing notice on the spot. Turns out they needed verification of my kids' SSNs for claiming credits.

I went through something similar last year! My transcript showed a 971 notice from March but I never got anything either. After weeks of trying to call, I finally got through and found out it was just a routine income verification notice that got lost in the mail. The agent was able to verify my info over the phone and my refund was released within 2 weeks. Don't panic - with a refund that size they're probably just doing extra verification. Keep trying to call early mornings or consider using one of those callback services people mentioned. The waiting is the worst part but most of these notices end up being routine stuff that can be resolved quickly once you actually talk to someone.

I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now! Had a 971 notice code show up on my transcript from early August but still haven't received anything in the mail. It's so frustrating when you're already waiting months for your refund and then this mystery notice appears. I've been checking my mailbox obsessively every day thinking maybe it's just delayed, but at this point I'm pretty sure it's lost or never got sent. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really helpful - sounds like most of these notices end up being routine verification stuff that can be resolved once you actually talk to someone. I'm definitely going to try some of the suggestions here like calling early morning or using one of those callback services. Thanks for posting about this, at least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with IRS mail issues!

I'm going through the EXACT same situation right now! My transcript shows a 971 notice issued on August 15th but it's been over 6 weeks and nothing has arrived. My refund of $3,180 has been stuck in processing since April and I'm getting really anxious about what this notice could be about. I've tried calling the IRS multiple times but can never get past the automated system - it's incredibly frustrating! Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually giving me some hope that it's probably just routine verification stuff. I'm definitely going to try calling first thing Monday morning at 7am like some people suggested, and if that doesn't work I might look into that claimyr service that several people have had success with. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with IRS mail delivery issues. The not knowing is honestly driving me crazy - I just want to find out what they need so I can get this resolved and finally get my refund!