Will the IRS send a notice if I owe taxes or am I supposed to pay on my own?

Thanks for this info. Does the IRS have a time limit for when they can send you a notice about taxes owed? Like if I amend a return from 3 years ago, will they still expect immediate payment even if they don't tell me right away?

Generally, the IRS has 3 years from the date you filed your return to assess additional tax. However, once a tax is properly assessed (like through your amended return), they generally have 10 years to collect that tax. So even if they don't send a notice right away, the debt remains valid and continues accruing interest and potential penalties. For amended returns specifically, you're correct that the expectation is that any tax due is paid at the time of filing, regardless of when the original return was filed. The IRS assumes you're aware of the amount owed since you're the one submitting the amendment.

Does this actually work with amended returns? I thought those were more complicated than regular tax situations. Will it tell me if I actually owe the money or not?

Sounds interesting but I'm curious about how it works with penalties and interest. Will it calculate how much extra I might end up owing if I wait another month to pay?

Yes, it absolutely works with amended returns! It can analyze the forms and tell you exactly what changed between your original and amended return, and confirm whether the amount owed is correct. It's actually really helpful for these more complex situations. For penalties and interest, it has a calculator feature that shows you exactly how much your debt will grow over time. You can see the breakdown of the base tax amount, penalties accumulated so far, and daily interest - and even project what you'll owe if you wait another 30, 60, or 90 days to pay. Really eye-opening to see how quickly those small penalties add up.

Wait, how does this actually work? Do they have some special connection to the IRS or something? Sounds kinda fishy tbh.

Yeah right. No way this works. The IRS phone system is designed to make you give up. I've tried calling at least 50 times last year and never got through. If this actually works I'll eat my hat.

They don't have special access to the IRS - they just use an automated system that navigates the phone tree and waits on hold for you. It's basically like having someone else sit on hold so you don't have to waste your whole day listening to that terrible hold music. When an agent actually picks up, their system calls your phone and connects you directly to the agent. I was definitely skeptical too! But I was desperate after trying for two weeks to get through. The longest part was still waiting for an agent to become available (about 90 minutes in my case), but the difference is I could go about my day instead of being stuck with my phone. When they connected me, I was talking to a real IRS agent who had all my information and helped resolve my issue. Honestly the best money I've spent dealing with tax stuff.

That makes sense, but my tax person never mentioned I needed to send payment with the amendment. I assumed they'd bill me or something. Do you know if there's a way to check online how much I actually owe with the interest added?

You can check your balance by creating an account on the IRS website at irs.gov/account. This will show your current balance including any interest and penalties that have accrued. I'm sorry your tax preparer didn't communicate this clearly. They really should have explained that when you file an amended return showing additional tax due, that amount is payable immediately. The IRS expects payment with the amendment, which is why they don't always send a separate bill right away.

Good point about state taxes. I had to amend both last year and actually ended up owing more to the state than federal. The state was much quicker about sending me a bill though!

That's typical in my experience. States often have more aggressive collection processes and clearer billing systems than the IRS. The IRS is dealing with the entire country and their systems are notoriously outdated. Smaller state tax departments can sometimes be more efficient with notifications. Always a good reminder to check both when amending returns!

This is such an important point that I wish more people understood! I made this exact mistake a few years ago - I owed about $300 from an amended return and thought "I'll wait for them to send me a bill." By the time I finally got a notice, it had grown to over $500 with all the penalties and compound interest. The worst part is that the interest rate the IRS charges is actually pretty high compared to what you'd get from a savings account, so there's really no financial benefit to waiting. Plus, as you mentioned, they calculate interest from the original due date, not from when you discover the debt. So even if you genuinely didn't know you owed money, you're still on the hook for all that accumulated interest. It's definitely a "pay now, ask questions later" situation when it comes to tax debts.

This is really helpful to hear from someone who went through the exact same thing! I'm definitely going to check my IRS online account today to see what the current balance is with all the accumulated interest. It sounds like even though it started at $180, it's probably grown quite a bit by now since it's been almost a year. I'm kicking myself for not knowing I was supposed to pay when I filed the amendment. My tax preparer really should have explained that better - I thought amended returns were just like regular returns where they bill you if you owe money. Now I know for next time, but this is an expensive lesson to learn! Did you have any trouble setting up the online account with the IRS? I've heard mixed things about their website being difficult to navigate.

Setting up the IRS online account wasn't too bad, but you do need to have some specific information ready. They'll ask for details from a recent tax return, your Social Security number, and they'll want to verify your identity through credit report questions or by mailing you a verification code (which takes 5-10 days). The website itself is pretty clunky and old-fashioned looking, but once you're logged in, you can see your account balance, payment history, and any notices they've sent. It's definitely worth doing because you'll be able to see exactly how much interest has accumulated on your $180. One tip: if you decide to pay online through their system, make sure to allow a few business days for the payment to process before the next interest calculation kicks in. I learned that the hard way when I thought I was cutting it close with my payment timing!