Should I hire a tax professional to help with my CP2000 notice for RSU sale reporting issues?

I've helped many clients with CP2000 notices for RSU reporting issues. This is actually quite common! The good news is that if you've correctly prepared the amended return showing you don't owe additional tax, you're on the right track. For RSUs, the IRS often issues CP2000 notices because they see the stock sale but don't have the cost basis information, so they assume the entire proceeds are taxable gains. But as you correctly noted, the RSU income was already reported on your W2 when they vested. You can absolutely respond on your own. What you'll need to include: 1) A letter explaining that the RSUs were already properly reported as income on your W2, 2) A copy of your corrected Schedule D and Form 8949 showing the adjusted cost basis, and 3) Documentation supporting your cost basis (your RSU statements showing vesting dates and values would be helpful). Make sure you respond by the deadline on the notice. The IRS is generally reasonable when you provide proper documentation.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year with my RSUs and a CP2000 notice. After spending hours stressing about it, I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me sort through all my RSU documentation. It was so much easier than I expected - I just uploaded my CP2000 notice, my 1099-Bs, and my W2, and their AI analyzed everything and explained exactly what happened and what I needed to do. They even created the response documents for me showing how the RSUs were already properly taxed on my W2. Best part was I didn't have to pay $450+ for a tax professional when the issue was actually pretty straightforward once I understood it. I was able to respond to the IRS confidently with the right documentation.

So I need to follow up on my skeptical comment above. I decided to try taxr.ai after all with my own CP2000 situation, and I'm actually impressed. The system correctly identified where I had made reporting errors with some complex RSU transactions that spanned multiple vesting dates. What surprised me most was how it broke down exactly which transactions were causing the CP2000 discrepancy and showed me visually how to correct them. The response package it created looked professional and included all the supporting documentation. I was preparing to spend $600+ on a CPA but this ended up being much more affordable and surprisingly thorough. My response is still being processed by the IRS but the explanation was so clear that I'm confident they'll accept it. For anyone facing RSU or stock reporting issues with the IRS, it's definitely worth checking out.

When I got my CP2000 notice last year for a similar RSU reporting issue, I tried calling the IRS directly to explain my situation but was on hold FOREVER. After multiple attempts and wasting hours, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually got me connected to a real IRS agent. I was super skeptical at first, but they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Basically, they keep calling the IRS for you and then connect you once they reach an agent. After weeks of failing to get through on my own, I got connected to an IRS representative in about 45 minutes. The agent was actually super helpful and walked me through exactly what documentation I needed to provide for my RSU situation. Having that direct conversation made the whole process so much clearer, and I was able to resolve my CP2000 without hiring an expensive tax pro.

I need to eat my words from my skeptical comment above. After trying to reach the IRS for THREE DAYS on my own about my CP2000 notice, I broke down and tried Claimyr. I was connected to an actual IRS agent within 35 minutes. The agent reviewed my RSU situation and confirmed exactly what I needed to send in (supporting documentation showing the cost basis and that the income was already on my W2). She even gave me a direct fax number to send my response to for faster processing. I probably saved days of frustration and wasted time. For anyone dealing with CP2000 notices, being able to actually speak with an IRS representative makes a huge difference versus trying to figure it out from their generic letters. They walked me through exactly what they were looking for in my response.

Just to offer another perspective - I handled my own CP2000 response for a similar RSU reporting issue last year without a tax pro. I just carefully documented everything, included copies of my RSU statements showing the vesting dates and values, and wrote a clear explanation letter. The key things that helped me: - I included a spreadsheet that matched each 1099-B transaction to the corresponding RSU grant - I highlighted the W2 box where the RSU income was already reported - I recalculated my Schedule D and Form 8949 with the correct cost basis - I was super organized with my response and made everything easy to follow The IRS accepted my explanation without any further questions. If you're comfortable with your tax situation and understand RSUs, you might not need to spend the money on a professional. Just be methodical and thorough in your response.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned reaching out to your company's stock administrator! When I had a similar issue with RSUs and a CP2000, our company's equity team provided me with detailed documentation specifically designed for responding to IRS notices. Many larger companies that offer RSUs have dealt with this exact situation many times and already have template letters and supporting documentation they can provide to employees. Worth checking if your HR or stock admin team can help before spending money on a professional.