Never received IRS letter that showed in my USPS Informed Delivery - what should I do?

If you saw the letter in your USPS Informed Delivery but never actually received it, you should take a few steps to address this situation. First, contact USPS directly to report the missing mail. They have a specific process for mail shown in Informed Delivery but never delivered. You can file a missing mail search request through their website. For the IRS side, I'd recommend calling the IRS main number (800-829-1040) to explain the situation. Let them know you were expecting correspondence that never arrived. They can look up what notice was sent to you based on your taxpayer information and potentially resend it or at least tell you what it was regarding. Another option is to create or log into your IRS online account at irs.gov, where you might be able to see notices that have been sent to you electronically. Don't worry too much - the IRS understands mail gets lost sometimes. Just be proactive about reaching out to them.

I went through something similar last year and found an amazing solution with taxr.ai when I couldn't get anywhere with the IRS. I was missing a notice about an adjustment to my refund, and I was super stressed about it. I tried calling the IRS multiple times but the wait times were ridiculous. I stumbled across https://taxr.ai when researching options, and they were able to pull up all my IRS notices and letters even though I hadn't received the physical copies. Their system accesses your IRS transcript data and shows all communications that have been sent to you, including the content of those notices. Saved me so much time and stress!

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai from the recommendation above. It actually worked perfectly! I was skeptical at first, but after going through their verification process, I was able to see exactly what was in that missing IRS letter. In my case, it was just a notification that they received my tax return and were processing it - nothing urgent thankfully. The interface was super easy to use and it showed me the complete history of IRS communications in my account. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're in a similar situation. Saved me hours of trying to get through to the IRS on the phone!

If you need to actually speak with someone at the IRS (which I recommend since you need to let them know you never received their notice), try using https://claimyr.com. I found this service after spending literal DAYS trying to get through the IRS phone system without success. I was in a similar situation with a missing letter about an audit notice (talk about stressful!) and kept hitting dead ends with the automated system. Claimyr basically holds your place in line with the IRS and calls you back when an agent is about to be available. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After trying unsuccessfully for a week on my own, I had an actual IRS person on the phone within a couple hours of using their service. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was in the notice and reset the response timeline since I never actually received it.

Had to come back and eat my words about Claimyr. After being super skeptical in my earlier comment, I decided to try it myself since I've been trying to reach the IRS about a similar issue for weeks with no luck. It actually worked exactly as described! I put in my info around 9am, went about my day, and around 1:30pm I got the call connecting me to an IRS agent. The agent was able to tell me that they had sent me a letter requesting additional documentation for my return, and since I explained I never received it, they resent it and gave me an extended deadline. Honestly feel a bit silly for being so skeptical now. Would've wasted so many more hours on hold if I hadn't tried this.

Another option nobody mentioned: the USPS has a formal process for mail shown in Informed Delivery but never received. Go to their website and look for "Missing Mail" search option. I had to do this once for an important document and they were able to track it down. Also, informed delivery isn't always 100% accurate. Sometimes the scanning happens but then pieces get missorted. If it's only been a week, there's a chance it might still show up.

Pro tip: set up an IRS online account asap if you haven't already. Go to irs.gov and create an account. Many notices are now viewable there, and you'll be able to see past communications. Might save you from this situation in the future.

I've been through this exact situation! First, don't panic - the IRS understands that mail gets lost sometimes. Here's what worked for me: 1. Call your local post office directly (not just the main USPS number) and ask them to do a mail trace for that specific date. Sometimes they can find it or at least confirm it was delivered to the wrong address. 2. If you have an IRS online account, log in and check your notices section. Even if the physical letter got lost, digital copies of notices are often available there. 3. When you call the IRS, have your SSN, filing status, and AGI from your last return ready. Ask them to tell you what notice was sent and request they resend it with a new response deadline since you never received the original. 4. Document everything - save screenshots of your Informed Delivery showing the letter, keep records of when you called USPS and the IRS, etc. This creates a paper trail showing you were proactive. The good news is that if it was just a routine processing notice (which many are), there might not be any action needed from you anyway. But definitely follow up to be safe!

I had this exact same thing happen to me about 6 months ago! It's so frustrating when you can see the letter was supposed to be delivered but it just vanishes. Here's what I learned from my experience: The IRS actually has a specific procedure for this situation. When you call them (and yes, the wait times are rough), make sure to mention that you have proof from USPS Informed Delivery that the letter was processed for delivery but never arrived. This helps establish that you weren't just ignoring their correspondence. In my case, it turned out to be a notice about a small error on my return that resulted in a slightly different refund amount. Nothing scary at all! The agent was able to read me the entire contents of the letter over the phone and then sent a duplicate with an extended response deadline. One thing that really helped was taking screenshots of my Informed Delivery showing the IRS letter on the expected delivery date. The IRS agent said this was great documentation to have, and it definitely made the whole process smoother. Also, if you haven't already, definitely set up that IRS online account that others mentioned. Even though it won't help with your current missing letter, it'll prevent this stress in the future since you'll be able to see notices digitally.

I went through this exact situation last year and it was definitely stressful at first! Here's what worked for me: First, don't panic - this happens more often than you'd think, especially with the volume of mail the IRS sends out. The key is being proactive about it. I'd recommend trying multiple approaches at once: 1. Call the IRS customer service line (800-829-1040) and explain you saw the letter in Informed Delivery but never received it. Have your SSN, filing status, and AGI from your last return ready. The wait times can be long, but early morning calls (around 7-8 AM) tend to be shorter. 2. File a missing mail report with USPS through their website. Sometimes mail gets missorted or delivered to the wrong address, and they can track it down. 3. Check if you can set up an IRS online account at irs.gov - some notices are available digitally there, which might let you see what the letter contained. In my case, it turned out to be just a routine acknowledgment that they received my return and were processing it. Nothing urgent at all! The IRS agent was able to tell me exactly what was in the letter and confirmed no action was needed from me. Keep that screenshot from Informed Delivery - it's great documentation that you were expecting the mail but never received it. This shows the IRS you weren't ignoring their correspondence. Try not to stress too much about it. The IRS deals with lost mail regularly and they have procedures in place for exactly this situation!

I've been dealing with IRS correspondence issues for years and wanted to share a few additional tips that might help: If you're comfortable with it, try visiting your local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person. They can often access your account information immediately and tell you what notices have been sent without the phone wait times. You can find locations on irs.gov and most require appointments, but it's sometimes faster than calling. Also, consider setting up mail forwarding or a PO Box if you're having ongoing delivery issues in your area. I had problems with mail theft in my neighborhood and switching to a PO Box eliminated the stress of wondering if important documents were actually reaching me. One thing I learned the hard way - if this happens again in the future, act quickly. The IRS typically gives you 30 days to respond to most notices, and that clock starts ticking from when they say they mailed it, not when you actually receive it. So the sooner you contact them about missing mail, the better. Keep documenting everything with screenshots and notes about your calls. If there are ever any issues down the road, having that paper trail showing you were proactive about trying to receive their correspondence can really help your case. Most importantly, try not to let the anxiety get to you. In my experience, probably 80% of IRS letters are just routine notifications that don't require any action from you anyway.

This happened to me too! I was so stressed when I saw an IRS letter in my Informed Delivery but it never actually arrived. Here's what I learned from going through this: The most important thing is to act quickly since IRS response deadlines start from when they mail the letter, not when you receive it. I called the IRS at 800-829-1040 first thing in the morning (around 7 AM) and while I still waited about 30 minutes, it wasn't as bad as I expected. When I got through, I explained I had proof from Informed Delivery that a letter was processed but never delivered. The agent was actually really understanding and could immediately tell me what the notice was about - in my case it was just confirming they received my tax return. Nothing scary at all! I also filed a missing mail report with USPS online, though that took longer to get a response. The IRS agent was able to resend the letter with a new deadline right away. My advice: have your SSN, filing status, and last year's AGI ready when you call, take screenshots of your Informed Delivery as proof, and try calling early in the morning for shorter wait times. Most of these letters turn out to be routine notifications anyway, so try not to stress too much about it! The whole experience taught me to set up an IRS online account too, which has been really helpful for avoiding this anxiety in the future.

I've been in this exact situation and completely understand the anxiety! The good news is that this is actually pretty common and the IRS has procedures in place for dealing with lost mail. Here's what worked for me: I called the IRS early in the morning (around 7:30 AM) with my SSN, filing status, and AGI from my previous return ready. Even though I waited about 40 minutes, the agent was super helpful once I got through. I explained that I had proof from Informed Delivery that a letter was sent but never arrived, and she was able to tell me exactly what the notice contained right over the phone. In my case, it was just a routine processing notice - nothing urgent at all! The agent immediately sent a replacement letter with an extended deadline since I never received the original. I also recommend filing a missing mail search with USPS online and definitely keep those Informed Delivery screenshots as documentation. Don't panic too much - most IRS letters are just routine notifications that don't even require a response from you. The key is acting quickly since response deadlines start from when they mail it, not when you receive it. But the IRS is actually pretty understanding about mail delivery issues when you're proactive about contacting them!

I completely understand your stress about this - I went through the exact same thing about 6 months ago and it was nerve-wracking! Here's what I learned: The most important thing is to contact the IRS directly at 800-829-1040 as soon as possible. When you call, explain that you have documentation from USPS Informed Delivery showing an IRS letter was processed for delivery but never arrived. Have your SSN, filing status, and AGI from your last return ready. I called early morning around 7 AM and waited about 45 minutes, which honestly wasn't as bad as I expected. The agent was able to immediately tell me what the letter contained (turned out to be just a routine processing confirmation) and resent it with a new 30-day deadline since I never received the original. Also file a missing mail search request with USPS - sometimes they can track down what happened to it. Keep those Informed Delivery screenshots as proof you were expecting the mail. Try not to panic too much - in my experience and from what I've seen others share here, most IRS letters are routine notifications that don't require any action. The key is being proactive about contacting them so they know you're not ignoring their correspondence. The IRS actually deals with lost mail situations regularly and they're pretty understanding when you can show you were trying to receive their letters. You've got this!

I just went through this exact situation last month and wanted to share what worked for me! I saw an IRS letter in my Informed Delivery but it never actually showed up in my mailbox, and I was completely stressed about what it could be. Here's what I did: I called the IRS at 800-829-1040 early in the morning (around 7:15 AM) with all my info ready - SSN, filing status, and AGI from my previous return. I waited about 35 minutes which wasn't too bad, and when I got through, the agent was really helpful. I explained that I had proof from USPS Informed Delivery that a letter was sent but never delivered, and she immediately looked up what notice had been sent to me. It turned out to be just a notice that they had received my return and were processing my refund - nothing urgent at all! She was able to read me the key details right over the phone and then resent the letter with an extended deadline. I also filed a missing mail report with USPS online, though that took much longer to get any response. The IRS route was definitely faster for getting answers. My biggest advice is don't panic - most IRS letters are routine notifications that don't even require action from you. But definitely call sooner rather than later since their deadlines start from when they mail the letter, not when you receive it. Keep those Informed Delivery screenshots as proof too! The whole experience was way less scary than I anticipated, and now I have an IRS online account set up to avoid this stress in the future.

I went through this exact same situation about 3 months ago and totally understand the anxiety! Here's what I learned from my experience: First, don't panic - this happens more often than you'd think. The IRS actually has procedures in place specifically for lost mail situations. I called their main line at 800-829-1040 around 7:30 AM (early morning calls definitely have shorter wait times) and waited about 40 minutes to get through. When I spoke with the agent, I explained that I had proof from USPS Informed Delivery that a letter was processed but never delivered. Having those screenshots really helped! The agent was able to immediately tell me what the notice contained - it turned out to be just a routine acknowledgment that they received my tax return. Nothing scary at all! She resent the letter with a new 30-day deadline since I never received the original, and it arrived within about a week. My advice: Have your SSN, filing status, and AGI from your last return ready when you call. Also file a missing mail report with USPS online (though that takes much longer to get results). Keep those Informed Delivery screenshots as documentation. Try not to stress too much - in my experience and from reading other stories here, most IRS letters are just routine notifications that don't even require action from you. The key is being proactive about contacting them so they know you weren't ignoring their correspondence. You've got this! Most likely it's nothing urgent, but calling will give you peace of mind and ensure you don't miss any important deadlines.