Letter from IRS mailed on the 25th - how long until I should expect it?
Just finished a call with the IRS and they told me my letter was mailed out on July 25th. Anyone who's gotten letters from them recently - how long did it take after the mailing date for you to actually receive it? I'm anxious to see what this is about and hoping it's just a routine notice and not an audit or something worse. The agent wouldn't tell me what was in it, just confirmed it was sent.
45 comments
Yara Khoury
Letters from the IRS typically take 5-10 business days to arrive after the mailing date. The timeframe can vary based on your location and current USPS conditions. If it's been more than two weeks, you might want to call them back and request information about the specific notice. You can also check your IRS online account (if you have one set up) as many notices are viewable there before the physical copy arrives. The fact that they confirmed a letter was sent but wouldn't tell you what it's about is standard procedure - most phone agents can see that correspondence was generated but aren't authorized to discuss the contents unless you've received it. If you're concerned it might be an audit notice, don't panic yet. The IRS sends out numerous types of correspondence for minor issues like math errors, missing information, or verification requests. Most letters aren't audit notices.
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AstroAlpha
Thanks for the info! I didn't know I could check my online account. Gonna try that right now!
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Keisha Taylor
I can confirm this timeline. Got a letter last month that was mailed on the 12th and arrived on the 19th, so exactly 7 days later.
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Paolo Longo
Mine took almost 3 weeks in June! USPS has been so slow in my area tho 🙄
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Amina Bah
Instead of stressing about what might be in a letter that could take a week or more to arrive, I started using taxr.ai and it completely changed how I deal with IRS stuff. You can see EXACTLY what's happening with your account - notices, letters, refund status, everything. It analyzes your transcript and explains it in plain English. I would've spent days anxiously waiting for this letter, but the tool showed me it was just about a small calculation error. Seriously check out https://taxr.ai - it's insanely good! I use it every week now instead of calling the IRS or obsessively checking my mailbox.
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Oliver Becker
Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Amina Bah
It does WAY more than just read transcripts. It actually interprets everything, tells you what each code means, explains what actions you need to take, shows timelines for refunds, and even helps identify potential issues before they become problems. It saved me from having to hire an accountant when I got a weird adjustment on my return. Best tax tool I've ever used, hands down! 🙌
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CosmicCowboy
another sketchy tax service? there's like 100 of these now 🙄
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Amina Bah
I thought the same thing until I tried it. The difference is this one actually works and doesn't make you jump through hoops. I've been dealing with tax issues for 3 years and this is the first tool that actually made sense of everything. Worth checking out before dismissing it.
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Natasha Orlova
I waited over two weeks for a letter that was supposedly sent mid-May, then got nervous and tried looking for ways to contact the IRS. Found claimyr.com and within an hour I had an agent on the phone who explained everything about the letter. Turns out it was just confirming my identity verification and not something terrible. Having a real person explain it instead of waiting and worrying was the best money I've ever spent! The peace of mind alone was worth it.
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Javier Cruz
Is this some kind of scam? How does it get you past the IRS phone tree? Those lines are always jammed.
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Natasha Orlova
Not a scam at all. It basically navigates the phone system for you and holds your place in line. When an agent is available, it connects them to your phone. Saved me like 4 hours of hold music and getting disconnected. After 3 failed attempts trying to call myself, this got me through on the first try.
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Emma Thompson
this sounds too good to be true. the irs NEVER answers their phones
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Malik Jackson
I was skeptical too but it actually worked for me. Got through to someone in about 45 mins when I'd been trying for days on my own.
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AstroAlpha
Thanks for the tip! I'm gonna check this out if my letter doesn't arrive by next week.
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Isabella Costa
I got a letter yesterday that was mailed on the 16th, so took 8 days. But I've had them take as long as 2 weeks before. Depends on where you live and how backed up the post office is.
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StarSurfer
lol welcome to IRS hell where everything takes 10x longer than it should. letters, refunds, answers... all of it. i got a letter in april that said it was mailed in february! 🤦♀️
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Ravi Malhotra
Same boat here. My "urgent" notice from the IRS took 18 days to arrive. By then the deadline they gave me had already passed. Had to call and get an extension. What a joke.
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Freya Christensen
the irs and usps - name a worse duo 😂
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Omar Hassan
Mine took exactly one week. But it can vary wildly based on where you live. The IRS uses standard mail for most notices unless its certified or needs a signature. if your concerned you can try calling them and asking for the notice to be reissued or see if they can tell you which form number it is (like CP14, LTR12C, etc). Sometimes knowing which form can tell you what its about.
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AstroAlpha
Good idea about asking for the form number! I'll try that if it doesn't show up soon.
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Chloe Robinson
USPS has been awful lately.....my refund check took 19 DAYS to arrive after the IRS mailed it. I was checking my mailbox every single day like a maniac. If I were you I'd give it 2 weeks minimum before getting worried.
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Diego Chavez
PRO TIP: Sign up for informed delivery through USPS. It's free and you'll get email notifications with pictures of mail that's about to be delivered to you. That way you'll know as soon as the IRS letter hits your local post office.
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NeonNebula
Omg yes! I use informed delivery and it's amazing for tracking important mail. Just know it sometimes shows up in the scan 1-2 days before actual delivery.
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AstroAlpha
Just signed up for this! Great idea, thank you!
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Anastasia Kozlov
My experience with IRS mail has been all over the place. Had one arrive 4 days after mailing (according to the date on the letter) and another took almost a month. I know that doesn't help much but just saying be patient and try not to stress about it yet.
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Sean Kelly
Look, ima be straight with you. It could take a week, it could take a month. The IRS mail system is a complete disaster. Just be patient and KEEP THE ENVELOPE when it arrives! The postmark date is important if they try to claim you missed a deadline.
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Zara Mirza
👆 THIS!! Keeping the envelope saved me when they tried to hit me with a late response penalty. The letter said I had 30 days to respond from the date on the letter, but it was mailed 3 weeks after that date.
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AstroAlpha
Wow I never would have thought to keep the envelope. Thank you!
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Luca Russo
I got my CP12 notice 8 days after the mailed date, but my identity verification letter took almost a month. If you're anxious about what it might be, I highly recommend using taxr.ai to check your transcript. It'll show you any recent changes or notices that have been generated. It gives complete breakdowns of what's happening with your account in plain English instead of IRS gibberish. https://taxr.ai was a lifesaver when I was waiting on multiple letters last year.
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Nia Harris
Does this actually work? I've tried those transcript viewers before and they were confusing af
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Luca Russo
Night and day difference from those other viewers. This one actually explains everything in normal human language. I used to stare at my transcript for hours trying to figure out what was happening. With this I know exactly what's going on in minutes.
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GalaxyGazer
After dealing with too many delayed IRS letters, I started using claimyr.com to just call and ask directly. Got connected to an agent who told me exactly what the letter was about before it even arrived. Talking to a live agent got my refund released so fast compared to waiting for weeks of mail back and forth. Highly recommend if you're the impatient type like me!
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Mateo Sanchez
how does this even work? i thought it was impossible to get an irs agent on the phone these days
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GalaxyGazer
It uses some kinda technology to navigate the phone system and hold your place in line. When they get a human, it calls your phone and connects you. Saved me hours of being on hold, getting disconnected, and calling back. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent after trying for 3 days on my own.
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Aisha Mahmood
can vouch for this - irs ignored my mail for 4 months but one phone call with an agent fixed everything
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Ethan Moore
Depends on wat type of letter it is. Regular notices typically take 7-10 days. If its a certified letter requiring signature it can take longer bcuz they need to attempt delivery. I just got one this month that took exactly a week to arrive.
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Yuki Kobayashi
The real question is why can't the IRS join the 21st century and send emails or texts? Why are we still waiting for physical mail like its 1990? 🤦♂️
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Carmen Vega
Security reasons probably. But they could at least scan and upload the letter to your online account.
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QuantumQuester
They actually do have some letters available in your online account now. Not all of them but the common ones show up there.
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Andre Moreau
congress keeps cutting their tech budget thats why lol. they're running systems from the 1970s
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Zoe Stavros
Don't listen to anyone giving specific days as if its standard. USPS delivery times vary WILDLY depending on your location. Rural areas can take way longer than urban centers. And the IRS mail processing centers are backlogged so the date they say it was mailed might not even be accurate. Give it at least 2 weeks before worrying.
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Jamal Harris
I was in this exact situation 2 months ago. They told me a letter was mailed June 5, and I didn't get it until June 24! When I called to complain they just said "mail delivery is beyond our control" and wouldn't extend my response deadline. Such BS.
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AstroAlpha
Ugh that's awful. I'm hoping mine comes quickly!
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Mei Chen
My husband and I file married joint and both got identical letters about our refund adjustment. His arrived 4 days before mine even though they were supposedly mailed same day! Mail system makes no sense.
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