And buy a tube of KY, it will make the experience a lot less painful.

This has been my experience, as well as the experience of others I know. Don't waste $$ on these "tax fixer" people, (talk about scams), just call the IRS directly and explain the issue. I had a ~$5k late fee erased a few years ago with a phone call. Just like that...lady put me on hold for a few minutes and came back w the good news. I still owed the back tax but I sent that check so fast it that I almost cut off my fingers putting it in the mailbox.

If you need a legit CPA to file a return for you, that's a different issue. A good one is a valuable asset. There are so many scams these days wrt collection agencies and people supposedly calling from the Social Security administration, etc...The IRS doesn't call people. They send letters.

As for reaching the IRS on the phone these days, that might be another issue. I haven't tried this year.

You get what you pay for ... ignore all this "free" advice and send me a hundred :D

As someone who utilizes lawyers when necessary, I'd disagree w this. Just contact the IRS. If I've ever gotten a call from a bill collector, unless I knew it was legit, I just told them not to call again and only contact me by mail. They always just disappear.

If the OP is getting contacted by mail, I'd still call or write the IRS directly. They are a lot more helpful than people realize, especially when you contact them as opposed to the other way around. It doesn't sound like the actual IRS is contacting him.

Every time I have had to call the IRS, I have found them to be very helpful and professional.

Call them and see what they say.

They are helpful, but the gears grind slow.

A few years back the IRS double dipped my payment. Instead of $12,000+ they hit my account for nearly $25,000.

When i picked up on the double payment I visited the local office in person. I walked in and I was the only "customer". There was a security guard who told me to take a number. I pulled off my ticket number, sat down, and then my number was immediate called....

I told the girl my problem. She pulled up my account on her computer. Yep, two deposits. One was credited to my account. The second was in limbo. She acknowledged the problem, but said she couldn't do anything about it on her end. She took my phone number. A week later she called and said I had been assigned an advocate to help me through the process. Another week and the advocate called me and detailed the plan to get my money back. Every week or two he would call me and give me an update. After 3 months he called and told me I should be getting a check in the mail. Sure enough, a week later I got the check. With interest. Took nearly 4 months.