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How to answer an IRS notice by fax

Updated September 2026

An envelope arrives from the IRS with a code like CP2000, CP notices, or a 5-digit letter number. Most of them have a deadline, and most of them can be answered by fax. Ignoring one is what turns a small correction into a bill.

The fax number is on your own notice

There is no single IRS fax number for replies, and any page that gives you one for all notices is wrong. Each notice is handled by a different unit, so the number that matters is the one printed on your letter.

The deadline is real and it is short. Most notices give 30 days, some 60. Faxing the same day you decide your answer is the single most useful thing you can do, because postal mail from outside the United States can eat three weeks of a thirty-day window.

What to send

  1. The response slip from the notice, or a cover page repeating your name, the EIN or SSN as shown on the notice, the notice code and the tax year.
  2. A short letter saying plainly whether you agree or disagree, and why. Two paragraphs is normal. Do not argue; state facts.
  3. Your evidence: the documents that support what you said. Label them so the reader can match each one to a point.
  4. Keep the whole package under about 20 pages. If it is bigger, the unit is likelier to lose part of it.

Notices that foreign LLC owners actually get

What arrivedWhat it usually means
CP575Your EIN was assigned. This is the confirmation, not a problem. Keep it forever; banks ask for it.
CP2100 / CP2100AA payer reported a name and EIN that do not match IRS records. Usually a typo in how the LLC name was written.
Notice about a missing Form 5472Take this one seriously. The penalty is $25,000 and it grows if you let 90 days pass after the notice.
CP148A / CP148BThe IRS changed your address on file.

Three habits that decide the outcome

If you want an accountant to handle it

The IRS will not discuss your file with anyone who is not authorized. That authorization is Form 2848, and it is also filed by fax.

Answer the same day, from anywhere

FaxFast gives you a real U.S. fax number in about two minutes. Send your response as a PDF, receive whatever the IRS faxes back, and keep a dated receipt of both.

Get my fax number

FaxFast is not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service. This guide explains a procedure and is not tax or legal advice. Always follow the instructions printed on your own notice.