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Yuki Watanabe

IRS vs Tax Court for Cryptocurrency Reporting Dispute - Need Advice on CP3219A Notice

I got a CP3219A notice on Sept 4th giving me until December 4th to petition the Tax Court. I've been talking with the IRS trying to resolve things, but they say they can't review my documentation until mid-December. My issue is with Coinbase who reported my stablecoin transactions completely wrong. They reported to the IRS that I had $23.5k in gains when really I only made about $580 in interest. I put my own money into USDC stablecoins that basically stayed at the same value, but Coinbase somehow reported it like I made a huge profit. Now the IRS thinks I owe $5.1k in taxes! I already sent the IRS the corrected 1040 Schedule D and 8949 forms along with my original 1099-MISC showing the actual interest income of $580. I haven't paid anything yet because I'm waiting to see what the real amount will be once this gets sorted out. The IRS reps have been surprisingly helpful every time I call, and they confirm they have all my documentation now. My question is: Should I go ahead and file with the Tax Court before my December 4th deadline, or just keep working with the IRS directly? I feel like we're making progress, but that deadline is getting closer and I don't want to lose my appeal rights.

You're in what's called a "statutory notice of deficiency" situation, and your intuition about protecting your rights is correct. Here's what you should know: The CP3219A notice (90-day letter) gives you a specific window to petition Tax Court, and this is your ONLY opportunity to challenge the assessment without paying first. Once that window closes, you lose that right permanently. While the IRS employees may be helpful, they're limited by their processing timelines. If they can't review your documentation until after your petition deadline, you're at risk. My recommendation: File the Tax Court petition before your deadline as a protective measure. This preserves your rights while you continue working with the IRS. If you resolve things directly with the IRS before your Tax Court date (which could be months away), you can simply withdraw your petition. The petition isn't complicated - you basically explain the factual errors in the notice (the incorrect reporting of your stablecoin transactions). The filing fee is $60, which is a small price to pay for protecting your rights.

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Andre Dupont

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Does filing with Tax Court make the IRS less willing to work with you? I've heard they get more difficult once lawyers get involved. Also, do you need an actual tax attorney to file the petition or can you do it yourself?

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Filing with Tax Court generally doesn't make the IRS less willing to work with you. In fact, once you file, your case typically gets assigned to an IRS Appeals Officer who has more authority to settle than the regular service representatives. Many cases get resolved this way before ever reaching a judge. You can absolutely file the petition yourself without a lawyer. The Tax Court website (ustaxcourt.gov) has simplified petition forms and instructions. Many people represent themselves in Tax Court, especially for straightforward factual disputes like yours. If your case actually proceeds to trial (most don't), you could consider hiring representation then.

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Zoe Papadakis

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I was in almost the exact same situation last year with a crypto exchange reporting issue. I tried working directly with the IRS for months but kept hitting roadblocks with their processing times. After talking in circles with them, I found this site https://taxr.ai that completely changed my approach. They have this document analysis tool that scanned my crypto statements and IRS notices, then explained exactly where the reporting error occurred and how to properly document it. The analysis showed that my exchange had double-counted transactions and completely messed up my cost basis (sounds familiar, right?). The detailed report they generated helped me organize all my evidence in a way the IRS could easily process. When I submitted everything with their formatting suggestions, my case got resolved in weeks instead of months.

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ThunderBolt7

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How exactly does the taxr.ai thing work? Do they just explain the tax rules or do they actually help with your specific situation? I've got a similar issue with KuCoin reporting wrong numbers to the IRS.

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Jamal Edwards

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I'm skeptical about these kinds of services. Did they actually resolve your issue or just give you general advice that you could find on Reddit for free? $23k in phantom gains is a serious problem that might need a real tax attorney.

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Zoe Papadakis

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The service analyzes your specific documents and transactions, not just general advice. You upload your crypto statements, IRS notices, and any other relevant documents, and their AI plus tax experts review everything to identify exactly where the reporting errors occurred and how to properly document your case. For my KuCoin situation (similar to yours), they were able to trace every transaction and show precisely how the exchange's reporting system had failed to account for my original investments. This gave me exact figures and documentation methods that the IRS accepted. It's definitely different from general Reddit advice - they provide specific analysis of your unique situation with documentation formatting that follows IRS preferred protocols. I was also worried about needing an expensive tax attorney, but this ended up resolving everything at a fraction of the cost.

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ThunderBolt7

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Just wanted to follow up - I took the advice and tried taxr.ai for my crypto reporting issue with the IRS. I was surprised at how thorough their analysis was! They showed exactly how my exchange had messed up by not tracking my cost basis correctly and provided a complete transaction history that made sense. The best part was they formatted everything exactly how the IRS wanted to see it. I sent in their report along with my documentation, and I just got confirmation that the IRS accepted my explanation and reduced my supposed "tax liability" from over $7k down to $340 (which was the actual interest I earned). Saved me from having to go to Tax Court and from paying thousands in taxes I didn't actually owe. Definitely worth it for crypto tax issues!

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Mei Chen

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I've been through this exact nightmare with the IRS over crypto reporting errors. While working on resolving the issue, I kept calling the IRS but could never get through - just endless hold times or disconnects. I was about to give up when someone recommended https://claimyr.com to me. They have this service where they basically wait on hold with the IRS for you and call you when an actual agent is on the line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical but desperate. Within a couple hours, I was actually talking to an IRS agent who could help with my case. That single conversation cleared up so much confusion and got my documentation to the right department.

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How does this even work? The IRS phone system is notoriously awful - how can they get through when nobody else can?

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Amara Okonkwo

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This sounds like complete BS. I've been trying to reach the IRS for MONTHS about my crypto issue. There's no magic way to skip the phone queue - everyone has to wait just like everyone else. I bet this is just another scam.

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Mei Chen

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They use an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and stays on hold for you. It's not about "skipping the line" - they're essentially just holding your place in the same queue everyone else is in, but their system does the waiting instead of you. When I used it, I got a text when they were about 2 minutes from reaching an agent, giving me time to prepare. Then my phone rang and I was connected directly to the IRS representative. I didn't have to sit through 3+ hours of hold music and could actually get work done while waiting. It's definitely not a scam - it's just a technology solution to a frustrating problem. The IRS doesn't give preferential treatment, but having someone else wait on hold for you makes a huge difference in actually getting through.

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Amara Okonkwo

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I have to come back and eat my words. After my skeptical comment yesterday, I was desperate enough to try the Claimyr service. I've been trying to reach the IRS for literally 4 months about my crypto issue - always disconnected after 2+ hours on hold. I used their service this morning, and I'm absolutely stunned. I got a text saying they were about to reach an agent, and then my phone rang with an actual IRS representative on the line. The whole process took less than 2 hours. The IRS agent was able to see all my documentation and put notes in my file confirming they had received my explanation about the exchange's reporting error. She also gave me the direct extension for the department handling my case for follow-up. I'm still shocked this actually worked. Sorry for calling it BS before - I've just been burned by so many "solutions" that don't work. This literally saved me days of frustration.

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Had this exact issue with Gemini last year. My suggestion is to do BOTH - keep working with the IRS AND file with Tax Court before your deadline. Filing with Tax Court costs $60 and gives you insurance in case the IRS process drags out (which it probably will). I made the mistake of trusting the IRS would resolve my issue in time, and when they didn't, I lost my right to challenge without paying first. I ended up having to pay the full amount ($11k!) and then file for a refund, which took another 8 months to process. Don't make my mistake!

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Yuki Watanabe

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That's really helpful to know about your experience. How difficult was the Tax Court filing process? Did you end up needing a lawyer or were you able to do it yourself?

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The Tax Court filing was actually pretty straightforward. I used the simplified procedure since my dispute was under $50k. The petition form is available on the Tax Court website, and it's mostly just explaining what the IRS got wrong and why. I did it myself without a lawyer. You basically need to state the facts clearly - that the crypto exchange reported incorrect information, what the correct numbers should be, and what evidence you have. Include copies of your documentation with the petition. One tip: be very specific about the error. In your case, explain that the exchange reported the full value as gain instead of just the interest earned, and provide your actual purchase records showing your cost basis.

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Nobody's mentioned an important option - requesting audit reconsideration AFTER the 90-day window expires. If your deadline is too close and you don't want to file with Tax Court, you can still dispute the assessment later through audit reconsideration. The downside is you may have to pay the tax first and then request a refund, but it's an option if you miss the Tax Court deadline.

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Dylan Hughes

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Audit reconsideration is a terrible approach for this situation! Why would you voluntarily give up your Tax Court rights when that's literally the best protection you have? Paying thousands in taxes you don't owe and then HOPING the IRS gives it back through audit reconsideration is a recipe for disaster.

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