Where on my 2023 Form 1040 can I find if I have a tax liability?

The tax liability on your Form 1040 is shown on line 24 - that's your "Total Tax" which represents your total tax liability for the year. To determine if you still owe money though, you need to compare that with line 33 which shows your total payments. The difference between these two figures determines whether you owe or are due a refund. If line 24 (Total Tax) is larger than line 33 (Total Payments), you had a remaining tax liability that should have been paid when you filed. Line 37 would show that amount as "Amount You Owe." Conversely, if line 33 is larger than line 24, line 34 would show your refund amount. Those weird letters you're receiving might be from the IRS indicating there was an unpaid balance. Do the letters have a specific notice number on them? That could help identify exactly what the IRS is trying to communicate.

I went through something similar last year and spent HOURS on hold with the IRS trying to figure it out. Never got through to anyone. Then I found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out exactly what was going on with my tax documents. I uploaded my 1040 and the letter I received, and it explained everything in plain English - showed me exactly where my liability was and what lines to look at. Saved me so much headache trying to interpret tax jargon. Their document analyzer pointed out that I had miscalculated something on Schedule D that affected my total liability.

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai with my tax forms and CP2000 notice and WOW! It actually showed me that the IRS made a mistake in calculating my stock sales. The document analyzer highlighted exactly where the discrepancy was between what I reported and what the IRS thought I should have reported. I was able to write a response letter with the exact information needed to dispute their claim. Never would have figured that out on my own! Definitely worth checking out if you're confused by tax documents.

For anyone struggling to get answers from the IRS about their tax liability - I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) when I was in a similar situation with a tax notice. After spending weeks calling the IRS helpline with no success, Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They have this system that holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you back when an agent is available. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent was able to pull up my account and explain exactly what I owed and why. Turns out there was a processing error on my electronic payment.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment I decided to give it a try anyway because I was desperate to resolve my tax issue. The service actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a callback about 45 minutes after starting the process and was connected to an IRS representative who pulled up my account. Turns out I did have an outstanding liability from a 1099 that wasn't properly reported. The agent was able to set up a payment plan for me right on the spot. Never been so happy to be wrong about something!

Another way to check for tax liability is to create an account on the IRS website and view your account information. Go to irs.gov and click on "View Your Account." It shows any outstanding balances and you can download transcripts of your past returns. Saved me a lot of headache when I was in a similar situation.

Has anyone mentioned looking at tax transcript? I get confused with all the different kinds (account, return, record of account) but one of them shows if you have balance due. I think its the account transcript.

@Anna Stewart - Looking at your specific situation, since you filed on time but are receiving letters, it's likely there was either an underpayment or the IRS processed something differently than you expected. Beyond checking lines 24 vs 33 as others mentioned, also look at line 25a-25d on your 1040 - these show estimated tax penalties that might not have been included in your original calculation. When you get those CP14 notices, they usually include a detailed breakdown of the original tax, any penalties, interest charges, and payments received. The key is to match up what the IRS shows as payments received with what you actually paid. Sometimes electronic payments can take a few days to process, or there might have been an error in how your payment was applied to your account. If there's still confusion after reviewing your forms, you might want to call the number on the notice itself - it goes directly to the department handling your specific case rather than the general IRS helpline.