Received CP2000 Notice for Incorrect Filing Status After Amending Return with Dependents
So I'm in a bit of a tax mess and need some advice quick. I filed my taxes about two years back and initially did a simple return as Single with no dependents. Then I realized I actually supported my mom and younger sister financially that whole year (mom wasn't working) so I could claim them as dependents. I filed an amended return claiming them both as dependents and also claimed child tax credit and EITC. Used TurboTax for both filings. The amended return got accepted and I thought everything was good to go. Well, I ended up waiting a full year for my refund! Every time I checked the "Where's My Refund" tool it just said something about COVID backlog and processing delays. Then today I got this Form 5564 notice saying there's a deficiency because of my filing status! Apparently I marked the wrong status when I amended. I should have used Head of Household instead of Single since I was supporting dependents. Now they're questioning the whole amended return and all the credits I claimed. Has anyone dealt with this before? What should I do? The notice gives me 90 days to respond and I'm freaking out a bit.
19 comments


Collins Angel
You need to respond to the Form 5564 right away, but don't panic. This is actually a pretty straightforward fix. The form you received is a Notice of Deficiency (90-day letter), which means the IRS disagrees with something on your return. Since you were supporting your mother and sister and claiming them as dependents, you're absolutely correct that you should have filed as Head of Household rather than Single. This filing status gives you a higher standard deduction and more favorable tax brackets. You'll need to prepare a response that acknowledges the error in filing status but confirms that you were eligible to claim your dependents. Include documentation that proves you provided more than half their support (bank statements, bills, etc.) and that they lived with you for more than half the year. If your sister was under 17, confirm that to support your Child Tax Credit claim. The good news is that fixing your filing status to Head of Household might actually increase your refund since it has tax advantages over filing as Single.
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Avery Davis
•Thanks for the quick response! I definitely have proof that I provided over half their support. My sister was 16 at the time, and both she and my mom lived with me the entire year. I have utility bills, grocery receipts, everything in my name. Should I just call the number on the notice or do I need to fill out another form? Also, will I have to pay any penalties for using the wrong filing status even though it was an honest mistake?
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Collins Angel
•You should follow the instructions on the notice for how to respond - typically you'll need to write a letter explaining the situation and include your supporting documentation. The notice should have a specific address where you need to send your response. No, you shouldn't face penalties just for selecting the wrong filing status if you were actually eligible for Head of Household. This is considered a good faith error, especially since the Head of Household status would have been more beneficial to you anyway. Just make sure to respond within the 90-day timeframe mentioned on the notice.
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Marcelle Drum
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Tate Jensen
•How does the service actually work? Do they have real tax pros looking at your stuff or is it all automated? I'm dealing with a CP2000 notice myself and I'm worried about trusting some random website with my tax info.
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Adaline Wong
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Marcelle Drum
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Tate Jensen
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Gabriel Ruiz
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Misterclamation Skyblue
•Wait, so you pay someone else to wait on hold for you? Does that actually work? The IRS phone system is such a nightmare, I'd love to avoid it if this actually helps.
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Peyton Clarke
•This sounds like a scam. How would they even get priority in the IRS queue? The IRS phone system is deliberately understaffed so people give up. I doubt any service can magically get you through faster.
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Gabriel Ruiz
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Peyton Clarke
Well I need to apologize and eat my words about Claimyr. After calling the IRS myself and waiting on hold for THREE HOURS only to get disconnected, I was desperate and decided to try it. Used the service yesterday, and I'm shocked to say it actually worked exactly as advertised. Their system handled the whole terrible IRS phone tree and waited on hold, then called me when an agent picked up. I was connected to an actual helpful IRS person within 2 hours (without me having to do anything). The agent reviewed my situation with the filing status deficiency notice and confirmed I could simply mail in proof that I qualified for Head of Household status. She even put notes in my file about our conversation and gave me a reference number. Now my response is documented in their system before I even mail in my paperwork! Honestly wish I'd known about this service months ago.
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Vince Eh
Make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING you send to the IRS! I went through a similar situation with a filing status issue a couple years ago. I sent in all my documentation and then they claimed they never received it. Had to send it all in again and it delayed my refund by another 3 months. Also, when you mail your response, use certified mail with return receipt so you have proof they received it. Trust me on this one.
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Avery Davis
•That's really good advice. I'm definitely going to make copies of everything. Do you know if I should be including my original tax returns with the response or just the supporting documentation for the head of household status?
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Vince Eh
•Just include the supporting documentation for Head of Household status, not your entire original returns. The IRS already has your returns in their system. Focus on providing proof that you provided more than half the support for your mom and sister and that they lived with you. Include a copy of the notice they sent you with your response. Write your Social Security number on every page you send them. And definitely use certified mail with return receipt - that saved me when they tried claiming they never received my documents.
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Sophia Gabriel
Just curious - when you amended your return, did you file Form 1040X? And did you check the Head of Household box on line 4 of that form? That's where a lot of people make mistakes with amended returns.
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Avery Davis
•Yes, I filed Form 1040X for the amendment, but looking back at my copy, I see I checked the "Single" box on line 4 again. I was so focused on adding the dependents and credits that I completely missed changing the filing status. Rookie mistake I guess.
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Sophia Gabriel
•That explains exactly what happened then. When you amend a return, you need to check the correct filing status for your situation on Form 1040X, even if you're not changing your filing status from the original return. Since you were adding dependents, you should have updated to Head of Household. The good news is this is fixable. As others have mentioned, respond to the notice with proof that you qualified for Head of Household (provided more than half support, they lived with you more than half the year). The IRS will recalculate your taxes based on the correct filing status.
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