Paid my CP22A balance online but IRS still sent another notice - help!

I'm seriously frustrated and need advice. Back in October, I received a CP22A form from the IRS showing I had a balance due from my 2018 taxes. I immediately went online and paid the full amount (about $3,200) through the IRS payment portal. The payment clearly shows as processed on the IRS website, and I even printed the confirmation. But just last week, I got ANOTHER notice in the mail claiming I still owe this balance! When I check my account on the IRS website, it's still showing an outstanding balance for the 2018 tax year even though my payment went through months ago. I've tried calling the phone number listed on the form at least 7 times, but it's impossible to get through to a real person. Either I'm on hold forever or it disconnects me saying they're experiencing high call volumes. What am I supposed to do now? I absolutely cannot afford to pay this amount a second time, and I shouldn't have to since I already paid it! Does anyone have experience with this kind of situation? Is there another way to contact them besides that useless phone number?

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19 comments

Tasia Synder

•8M

This happens more often than you'd think! The IRS is notoriously behind on processing payments and updating accounts, especially with older tax years like 2018. First, make sure you keep all documentation of your payment - confirmation numbers, bank statements showing the withdrawal, screenshots of the payment confirmation page, etc. This is your proof that you've fulfilled your obligation. The most likely explanation is that your payment was processed, but not properly applied to your specific tax debt. The IRS systems don't always communicate well with each other, especially between the payment processing system and the collections department. You have a few options: 1) Keep trying the main IRS number but call very early in the morning right when they open, 2) Contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service which can intervene on your behalf, 3) Send a written response to the notice with copies (not originals) of your payment proof, or 4) Make an appointment at your local IRS office where you can speak to someone in person.

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Tasia Synder

•8M

Online payments are usually processed within 1-3 business days for the actual transaction, but having that payment correctly applied to your specific tax debt can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks, sometimes longer during busy periods like tax season. The IRS is still dealing with backlogs from the pandemic, so some accounts are taking much longer to update than normal. If you paid in November, I'd recommend checking your account transcript online to see if the payment shows up there, even if it hasn't been applied to the correct tax year yet.

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Mohamed Anderson

•8M

I had a similar issue last year and found that using https://taxr.ai really helped me get clarity on my situation. I kept getting notices even after paying, and it was driving me crazy until I uploaded my IRS notices and payment confirmations to their system. The AI analyzed my documents and explained exactly what was happening with my account - turns out my payment was received but applied to the wrong tax period! They generated a detailed letter I could send to the IRS explaining the situation, including all the relevant IRS code sections that protected me from penalties since I had proof of payment. The response templates they provided saved me so much time and stress. You might want to check them out since you already have your payment confirmation and the CP22A notices.

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Mohamed Anderson

•8M

Yes, I actually did get results! I was skeptical too at first, but they don't claim to contact the IRS for you - they just analyze your documents and give you the exact information you need to handle it yourself. The letter template they generated for me worked when I sent it to the IRS, and my account was finally corrected. They use bank-level encryption for all document uploads, and they don't store your documents longer than needed for the analysis. I was worried about that too, but they explain their security measures on their site. They can't even see your full SSN because you're supposed to redact sensitive information before uploading.

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Ellie Perry

•8M

Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after all. I was in a similar situation with the IRS sending me repeated notices despite having proof of payment. Uploaded my CP22A notice and payment confirmation, and within minutes had a detailed explanation of what was happening. Turns out my payment had been misapplied to tax year 2019 instead of 2018! The system highlighted exactly where this error appeared in my IRS account transcript and generated a letter citing the correct IRS procedures for payment transfers between tax years. I sent it certified mail with my documentation, and three weeks later received confirmation that my 2018 balance had been corrected. Definitely saved me hours of phone calls and frustration. Would've never figured this out on my own.

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Teresa Boyd

•8M

Have you tried using Claimyr? I was stuck in IRS phone hell for WEEKS trying to resolve a similar issue with a CP22A notice. I'd call, wait on hold for 2+ hours, then get disconnected. Super frustrating. Someone recommended https://claimyr.com and I was skeptical, but their service actually works! They have a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line, then calls you when an actual agent is about to pick up. I got through to a real person in the collections department who was able to pull up my payment history and see that I had indeed paid. Check out how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it saved me countless hours of holding. The agent I spoke with put a hold on further notices while they investigated the payment issue.

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Teresa Boyd

•8M

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Teresa Boyd

•8M

It's not magic - they basically just have a system that waits on hold for you instead of you having to do it yourself. They don't "skip the line" or anything like that. They're just automating the hold process, then connecting you when a human finally answers. Yes, it does work for the collections department! That's exactly who I needed to talk to about my CP22A. When you use their service, you input which IRS department you need to reach, and they navigate the phone tree to that specific department. They even have options for which tax issue you're calling about so they can get you to exactly the right place.

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Lourdes Fox

•8M

I hate to admit when I'm wrong, but I have to report back. After my skeptical comment about Claimyr, I was desperate enough to try it because my situation with the IRS was getting worse - they were threatening to place a lien on my property even though I had proof of payment! It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back when they reached an agent, and I was able to explain my situation. The IRS rep confirmed they had received my payment but it wasn't properly applied to my account. She placed a temporary hold on collections and transferred my payment to the correct tax year. The whole thing took about 15 minutes once I got through to the agent. Saved me days of frustration and potential credit damage. Sometimes you have to put skepticism aside when you're desperate!

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Aileen Rodriguez

•8M

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - keep an eye on the date on that second notice. The IRS often sends out notices that were generated BEFORE they processed your payment. So check the date on the notice - it might have been created/mailed before your payment was fully processed, even though you received it afterward. Also, did you make the payment directly to the specific tax year and form? Sometimes people just make a general payment and it doesn't get applied correctly.

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Natalia Stone

•8M

Thanks for bringing this up! I checked and the second notice is dated about 3 weeks after my payment was processed. So unfortunately it's not just a timing issue. And yes, I specifically selected tax year 2018 Form 1040 when making the payment online - I was very careful about that since I didn't want any mix-ups. I think what might have happened is that the payment went through but wasn't applied to the specific CP22A balance. Maybe it was applied to the original tax liability but not to the additional assessment? The whole thing is so confusing and there's no way to check exactly where the payment was applied online.

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Aileen Rodriguez

•8M

That's definitely more concerning then. You're probably right about the payment being misapplied within the same tax year. The IRS has different "buckets" for different types of assessments, even within the same tax year. When you do manage to speak with someone (either through regular calls or using one of the services mentioned above), specifically ask them to check ALL modules for tax year 2018 to locate your payment. Make sure they know it was in response to a CP22A so they can properly apply it to the additional assessment rather than just the original tax liability. Be sure to have your payment confirmation number handy when you call. That's the fastest way for them to trace where your money actually went in their system.

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