IRS charging me for crypto taxes from 2021 Dogecoin sale now - help!
So back in 2021 I cashed out some Dogecoin and made around $22,000 in profits. I thought I did everything right - used TurboTax, uploaded all the tax forms Robinhood gave me, and filed everything on time. But yesterday I got this letter from the IRS saying I owe them $6,200 in back taxes for that crypto sale! The letter just cuts off mid-sentence so I don't even know if there are penalties or interest or what. I'm freaking out because I don't have that kind of money sitting around right now. I swear I reported everything correctly. Did anyone else get hit with surprise crypto tax bills years after filing? What should I do? Call the IRS? Get a tax professional? I'm so confused because I thought I did everything by the book.
18 comments


Dmitry Volkov
This happens more than you'd think with crypto transactions. The IRS has been playing catch-up with crypto reporting for years and is now going through older returns more carefully. First, check if there's a discrepancy between what Robinhood reported to the IRS versus what appeared in your tax return. Sometimes the forms Robinhood provides to you don't match exactly what they send to the IRS, especially with crypto transactions in 2021 when reporting requirements were still evolving. Second, verify if you properly calculated your cost basis. Many people accidentally use FIFO (first in, first out) instead of specifically identifying which coins they sold, which can dramatically change your tax liability. Also, make sure transaction fees were included in your cost basis calculations. Finally, look closely at the IRS letter - it should list a specific reason for the adjustment. You have the right to appeal if you believe it's incorrect.
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Ava Thompson
•But doesn't the responsibility fall on Robinhood to report the correct info to the IRS? If OP just uploaded what Robinhood gave them, why would they be on the hook for this? Also, is there a statute of limitations on when the IRS can come after you for old crypto taxes?
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Dmitry Volkov
•The taxpayer is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of their return, regardless of what forms they receive. Robinhood does its best, but especially in 2021, crypto reporting wasn't as streamlined as it is now. They provide the information, but calculating the proper gain or loss is on the taxpayer. As for the statute of limitations, the IRS generally has 3 years from filing date to assess additional taxes, but this extends to 6 years if you omit more than 25% of your income. For crypto specifically, the IRS has been particularly focused on enforcement, so they're reviewing returns from 2021 before the standard time limit expires.
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CyberSiren
I went through something similar with my ETH sales and taxr.ai seriously saved me. I uploaded my crypto transaction history and the IRS letter to https://taxr.ai and it immediately spotted where the discrepancy was happening - turned out I had calculated my cost basis incorrectly and was using dates that didn't match what Robinhood reported to the IRS. The tool generated a complete explanation of the error and even helped me prepare a response to the IRS with the correct calculations. They also checked my entire return and found a few other deductions I had missed that partially offset what I owed.
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Miguel Alvarez
•How does taxr.ai work with crypto specifically? Like does it pull transaction data from multiple exchanges or just analyze the tax forms you already have? I've got a mess of transactions across Coinbase, Binance and some DeFi stuff that I'm worried about.
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Zainab Yusuf
•I'm skeptical of any service claiming to help with IRS issues. Did they actually resolve your problem or just take your money and give generic advice? These tax resolution services are usually scams in my experience.
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CyberSiren
•It works with your existing tax documents and transaction histories. You upload whatever you have - your tax return, 1099s, the IRS letter, and any crypto transaction records - and it analyzes everything to identify discrepancies. It's particularly good at spotting crypto reporting issues because it understands how the various exchanges report to the IRS versus what they show customers. Regarding whether it actually helps or is just a scam, I was just as skeptical initially. But it completely solved my issue by identifying exactly where my reporting differed from what the IRS had on file. The response they helped me draft got the penalty reduced by over 60% because they showed I made a good faith effort to report correctly. They don't just give generic advice - they do a detailed analysis of your specific situation.
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Miguel Alvarez
Just wanted to update - I decided to try taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and wow. It was incredibly helpful with my crypto mess. I uploaded my Dogecoin transaction history from 3 different platforms and the IRS notice, and it immediately found where the issue was. Turns out I had accidentally double-counted some transactions and completely missed reporting a wallet transfer that the IRS flagged as a sale. The system generated documentation showing exactly what happened with timestamps and everything. I submitted their recommended response to the IRS last week and already got confirmation that my explanation was accepted and the amount I owe was reduced from $3,400 to $780. Worth every penny for the stress relief alone!
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Connor O'Reilly
If you need to actually talk to someone at the IRS about this (which I recommend), good luck spending hours on hold. I was in a similar situation with a crypto tax notice and it took me 9 attempts and 7+ hours on hold before I got through. I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an IRS agent in under 45 minutes when I was dealing with my crypto tax issue. Just go to https://claimyr.com and they basically wait on hold for you and call when an agent picks up. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical at first but I had been trying for weeks to get through on my own with no luck. They actually got me to a real person who was able to explain exactly what was wrong with my crypto reporting and gave me 45 days to respond with corrected information.
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Yara Khoury
•Wait so how does this actually work? Do they have some special access to the IRS or something? Seems fishy that they could get through when regular people can't.
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Keisha Taylor
•This sounds like a total scam. There's no way to "skip the line" with the IRS. They probably just auto-dial all day and then resell your call when they get through. Plus the IRS agents can't really help with complex crypto issues anyway.
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Connor O'Reilly
•It's not special access - they basically have an automated system that calls the IRS and navigates the phone tree, then stays on hold so you don't have to. When a representative finally answers, you get a call to join the conversation. There's no line skipping - they're just waiting on hold so you don't have to. The value isn't just getting through - it's that you can continue with your day while their system handles the tedious hold time. And you're wrong about IRS agents not being able to help - the agent I spoke with pulled up my exact case file, explained precisely which transactions had been flagged, and told me exactly what documentation I needed to submit to resolve the issue.
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Keisha Taylor
So I have to eat my words here. After getting that surprise crypto tax bill from 2021, I was desperate and tried Claimyr despite my skepticism. I'm still shocked it actually worked. After trying for literally weeks to reach someone at the IRS on my own, they got me through to an agent in about 35 minutes. The agent pulled up my account and walked me through exactly why I was being charged - turns out the cost basis for my Doge wasn't reported correctly to the IRS by my exchange. The agent put a 60-day hold on collections while I gather documentation and even gave me her direct line for follow-up questions. Would have NEVER gotten this resolved without actually speaking to someone. Totally worth it just to stop stressing about that letter.
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StardustSeeker
Heads up - this exact thing happened to me. Check if you accidentally reported your crypto transactions on Form 8949 with the wrong checkbox (A/B/C). If you marked "basis reported to IRS" but Robinhood didn't actually report the basis to the IRS in 2021 (which many exchanges didn't), the IRS computer assumes your basis was $0 and calculates tax on the entire proceeds! This is the most common crypto tax mistake from 2021-2022. The IRS is just now catching up on processing these.
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Sofia Martinez
•Wait, that sounds exactly like what might have happened! How did you resolve it once you realized the mistake? Did you have to file an amended return or just explain it in a response to their letter?
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StardustSeeker
•I didn't need to file an amended return. I sent a formal response to the IRS letter that included a new correctly filled out Form 8949 with the proper checkbox marked, along with documentation showing my actual purchase prices and dates for the Doge. I also included a brief letter explaining that I made an error in checking the wrong box but that I had in fact reported all income properly. They accepted my explanation and adjusted the amount owed to match what I had originally calculated and paid. The whole process took about 2 months from when I sent my response to getting their confirmation.
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Paolo Marino
Just want to add - KEEP ALL YOUR CRYPTO RECORDS FOREVER. I learned this the hard way. Every transaction, every wallet transfer, every swap. The IRS is going through old crypto transactions with a fine-tooth comb now. The 2021 bull run created a lot of taxable events that people either misreported or didn't report at all, and they're systematically going after everyone. My accountant told me they're seeing a huge wave of these letters for 2021 crypto transactions specifically.
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Amina Bah
•Do you know if they're focusing only on the major exchanges like Robinhood and Coinbase, or are they somehow tracking DeFi transactions too? I did some swaps on Uniswap back then that I'm not sure I documented properly.
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