Married Filing Jointly - do we need one response to IRS penalty letters or two separate replies?

What happens if they send two separate responses anyway? Do they both need to say basically the same thing or should they reference each other somehow?

You should definitely not send two separate responses as this could create confusion in processing. The IRS system will link both notices to your joint tax account. When they process your single response with both notice numbers referenced, it will resolve both notices simultaneously. If you were to send two separate responses, it could potentially trigger duplicate processing or conflicting determinations. Keep it simple with one comprehensive response that addresses both notices.

Did taxr.ai actually look at your specific tax situation? Or was it just a generic template? I'm wondering if they can help with complicated scenarios.

Is it worth the cost though? I feel like I could just write a letter myself explaining the situation. What made their service better than just doing it yourself?

They analyzed my specific tax documents and notices, not just a generic template. I uploaded both CP30 notices and my tax return, and they identified specific aspects of my situation like the timing of my wife's large bonus and how that affected our quarterly payment requirements. The value wasn't just in the response letter but the confidence it gave me. They showed exactly which parts of the tax code applied to my situation and provided documentation guidelines specific to uneven income scenarios. Honestly, the peace of mind alone was worth it - I knew I wasn't missing anything that could delay resolution.

How does that even work? Seems sketchy that some third party can get you through to the IRS faster than calling directly. Did you have to give them your personal info?

Yeah right. The IRS phone system is completely broken. I've tried calling dozens of times and never get through. No way some service magically fixes the hold time problem that the IRS itself can't solve.

It works by using technology to navigate the IRS phone system and hold your place in line. You don't need to provide any personal tax information to Claimyr - you just enter your phone number and they call you back when they've reached an agent. Then they connect you directly to that agent. The IRS phone system isn't broken - it's just overwhelmed. There are optimal times to call, and their system is designed to navigate the menus efficiently to get in queue faster. It's basically like having someone wait on hold for you instead of doing it yourself. Nothing magical about it, just a smart solution to a frustrating problem.

Did you send your response by regular mail? How long did it take to get resolved? I'm worried about missing the 30-day deadline they mention in the letter.

We sent it certified mail with return receipt, which I strongly recommend. It took about 8 weeks to get a response clearing the first penalty, then another 3 weeks to get the second one cleared after I called. The 30-day deadline is important, but what matters is when you mail your response, not when they process it. As long as you can prove you mailed it within the 30 days (with that certified mail receipt), you're covered even if it takes them months to actually process your response.

This! I had a similar issue and just called and asked for "first-time penalty abatement" and they wiped out the entire penalty. Didn't even have to send any forms or documentation. Worth trying before going through all the trouble of filling out the 2210.

This is really helpful! I'm in a similar situation with uneven freelance income throughout the year. Quick question - when you say "annualized income installment method," does that work if your income was higher in the later quarters? My situation is kind of the reverse of the original poster - I had most of my income come in Q4, so my earlier estimated payments were much lower. Will the IRS accept that the payments matched my actual income timing even though they look "back-loaded"?

@Anastasia Sokolov Yes, the annualized income installment method works perfectly for your situation! That s'exactly what it s'designed for - when your income is concentrated in later quarters. The IRS recognizes that freelancers and contractors often have uneven income patterns throughout the year. When you use this method on Form 2210, you re'essentially showing the IRS that your estimated payments were reasonable based on your actual income earned up to each quarter. So if you had little income in Q1-Q3 but a big project payment in Q4, your lower early payments would be justified. The key is documenting your actual income by quarter and showing that your estimated payments were proportional to what you had actually earned at each payment due date. This is totally legitimate and the IRS expects this kind of income variability from freelancers. Don t'worry about it looking back-loaded "-" that s'just the nature of freelance work!

This is incredibly helpful! Thank you for breaking down the specific details about how to format the response. I'm particularly glad you mentioned including the actual quarterly income numbers - I was planning to just say "variable income" but showing the real figures makes so much more sense from the IRS's perspective. One follow-up question: did you include any other supporting documentation besides the quarterly income statements? I have some 1099s that came in at different times throughout the year, and I'm wondering if I should attach copies of those as well to further support the uneven income pattern.

@Mikayla Davison Yes, including copies of your 1099s is definitely a good idea! I attached copies of all my 1099s arranged by quarter to show exactly when I received each payment. This really helps paint the complete picture for the IRS agent reviewing your case. I also included a simple one-page summary that listed each 1099 by date received and amount, then showed how I calculated my estimated payments based on income earned through each quarter. This made it super easy for them to follow my logic and see that my payments were reasonable given the information I had at each due date. The more documentation you provide within (reason ,)the faster they can process your case. Just make sure everything is clearly organized and referenced in your cover letter so they know what they re'looking at.

Thank you so much for this detailed breakdown! I'm feeling much more confident about handling this now. Your point about creating a table with specific quarterly amounts is really smart - it makes the case much clearer than just describing it in words. One quick question: when you sent everything certified mail, did you send it to the address listed on the CP30 notice itself, or is there a different address for penalty dispute responses? I want to make sure it gets to the right department for processing. Also, did you include both of your Social Security numbers on the Form 2210, or just the primary taxpayer's SSN since you filed jointly?

@Avery Saint Great question about the mailing address! I sent mine to the address printed on the CP30 notice itself - that s'specifically designed to route penalty dispute responses to the right department. Don t'use any generic IRS address you might find online. For the Form 2210, I included both of our Social Security numbers since we re'both technically liable for the penalty even though we filed jointly. I put the primary taxpayer s'SSN in the main field and wrote the spouse s'SSN in the margin with a note Joint "filers - both SSNs: [primary] and [spouse]. This" ensures both penalties get cleared when they process your response. One more tip: make copies of absolutely everything before you mail it, including the certified mail receipt. The IRS can take 8-12 weeks to process these responses, and having copies makes it much easier if you need to follow up or reference your original submission.

This is really reassuring to hear from someone who went through the exact same situation! The part about making a simple chart showing quarterly income is brilliant - I think visual documentation like that probably makes it so much easier for the IRS agent to quickly understand why the payments were structured the way they were. I'm curious about the timeline you mentioned - did you get any acknowledgment from the IRS that they received your response before the final resolution? I'm wondering if there's any way to track the progress or if you just have to wait the full 8 weeks to hear back. With certified mail you at least know it was delivered, but it would be nice to know it's actually being processed. Also, when you say both penalties were "completely removed," did they send you separate letters confirming each penalty was cleared, or was it one letter addressing both notices?

@Ayla Kumar Great question about tracking! I didn t'get any acknowledgment letter that they received my response, which was nerve-wracking at first. The certified mail receipt was my only proof it was delivered. After about 6 weeks I started getting anxious and called the IRS took (forever to get through .)The agent confirmed they had received my response and it was in "process but" couldn t'give me a timeline. Two weeks later I got the resolution. They actually sent me two separate letters - one for each penalty - but both arrived on the same day and both referenced my single response submission. Each letter said something like Penalty "Notice [specific notice number] - RESOLVED and" showed a zero balance. It was clear they processed both from my one submission but their system generated separate resolution letters. The visual chart definitely helped - the agent I spoke with mentioned that clear documentation like that makes their job much easier and speeds up processing. Highly recommend taking the time to make it look professional and easy to follow!

This is exactly the kind of detailed guidance I was hoping to find! Thank you for breaking down the process so clearly. I'm feeling much more confident about handling this now. One thing I'm still a bit unclear on - when you mention creating that quarterly income table, should I include supporting documentation like copies of invoices or 1099s to back up those numbers, or is just stating the amounts in the table sufficient? I have all my freelance payment records organized by quarter, so I could easily include copies if that would strengthen the case. Also, did you happen to calculate roughly how long the whole process took from when you mailed your response to when you got the final resolution letters? I know everyone mentioned 6-8 weeks, but I'm trying to plan around the timeline since we're getting close to the end of the year.