Strange IRS letters saying they received correspondence on 12/30/22 and 1/05/23 but I sent nothing! What's going on??

I've seen this issue several times in my work. When the IRS says they received "correspondence" but you didn't send anything, it usually means one of a few things: First, check if you've worked with any tax professionals who might have sent something on your behalf. Sometimes preparers submit clarifications or documentation without explicitly telling clients. Second, this could be related to automated systems. Certain tax forms filed by third parties (employers, banks, etc.) can trigger acknowledgment letters that mistakenly reference "correspondence" rather than properly identifying the source. Third, it might be mail delays or processing errors. The IRS might have received something you sent much earlier and only processed it recently, or they could have misattributed someone else's submission to your account. Don't panic, but do follow up. I recommend calling the IRS at 800-829-1040, but be prepared for long wait times. Request clarification on what specific correspondence they're referencing and ask them to provide copies if possible.

I had a similar issue last year and wasted like 3 hours trying to reach someone at the IRS. Then I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped decode what was happening. Their system analyzed my IRS letters and figured out that what had happened was a third-party 1099 correction triggered the letters even though I hadn't sent anything. The AI could read between the lines of the generic IRS form letter language. You just upload your IRS notice and it explains what's actually happening in plain English, plus gives you next steps. Seriously saved me from hours more on hold and multiple call attempts.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai with my weird IRS letters and it actually figured out what was going on! Turns out my employer had submitted a W-2c (corrected W-2) that I never received a copy of, and that's what the IRS was referring to as "correspondence." The system even showed me exactly what changed on the form and explained why the IRS sent me those confusing letters. Saved me from spending hours on hold with the IRS and solved the mystery immediately. Definitely recommend if you're getting cryptic IRS notices like this.

After getting nowhere with the IRS phone line for WEEKS on a similar issue, I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and actually got through to a real person at the IRS in about 15 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It's basically a service that navigates the IRS phone tree for you and waits on hold, then calls you when an actual human picks up. When I finally spoke with the IRS agent, they explained that my "mystery correspondence" was actually from my health insurance marketplace making a correction to my 1095-A form. I never would have figured that out without talking to a real person.

Well I have to eat my words. I was the skeptic above who doubted Claimyr would work, but I was desperate enough to try it after getting disconnected THREE times this week trying to reach the IRS about a similar letter situation. The service actually worked exactly as described. Their system waited on hold (took about 22 minutes in my case), then called me when they had an actual IRS representative on the line. The agent explained that in my case, the "correspondence" was actually a data correction from my student loan servicer that affects my interest deduction. Would never have figured that out without speaking to someone, and I honestly don't think I would have gotten through without the service. Surprised to say it actually delivered.

This happened to me last year and turned out to be nothing concerning. A third party (my mortgage company) had filed a corrected 1098 form and the IRS system automatically generated those "we received your correspondence" letters even though I didn't send anything. Super confusing! If the letters don't mention any specific issues or amounts owed, it's probably just an automated notification and not something to worry about. Still worth looking into though.

Just wondering if anyone has experience with this - can these mystery "correspondence" letters later lead to an audit or is it usually just administrative stuff? I got similar letters and I'm nervous it's the start of something bigger.

I went through something very similar about 8 months ago - got two IRS letters within a week saying they'd received "correspondence" from me that I definitely never sent. I was completely panicked thinking it was identity theft or fraud. After finally getting through to the IRS (took multiple attempts), it turned out that my previous year's tax preparer had submitted some kind of amended information electronically without telling me. The IRS agent explained that their system sometimes generates these generic "we received correspondence" letters for various types of electronic submissions, even when it's not technically correspondence from the taxpayer. The key thing is to not ignore them completely, but also don't panic. If there were actual issues with your taxes or fraudulent activity, the IRS would be much more specific about what they need from you. These vague acknowledgment letters are usually just their system being confusing about routine processing. That said, definitely try to get clarification for your own peace of mind. The suggestions others have made about calling early in the morning or using services to help get through are solid advice. In my case, once I spoke with someone, they were able to tell me exactly what had triggered the letters and confirmed I didn't need to take any action.