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Walkthrough 07 · 6 steps

Looking Up an
IRS Notice

Client forwards you a letter. First question: what is this, and how many days do I have? TRH's Notice Lookup answers both in under ten seconds, then cross-links to the transcript evidence.

Placeholder screenshots: every image block is a description of what the final annotated screenshot should show. Real screenshots with arrows and circles will be added before publish.
STEP 1
Tools → Notice Lookup
SCREENSHOT 1.1
Shows: TRH main menu with the "Tools" dropdown open, showing options: IRS Codes Reference, National Standards, Statute Calculator, Notice Lookup, CSED Worksheet, Penalty Calculator.
Annotations:
  1. RED ARROW pointing at "Notice Lookup" menu item
  2. YELLOW CIRCLE around the Tools menu
  3. GREEN CALLOUT: "Works offline — the full notice library ships with the app"
Click Tools → Notice Lookup. The notice library is bundled with TRH so it works offline, on a plane, anywhere.
STEP 2
Enter the notice code
SCREENSHOT 2.1
Shows: Notice Lookup modal with a large search input labeled "Enter notice or letter number (e.g. CP14, LT11, Letter 1058)". Autocomplete drop-down under the input showing matches as user types "CP1...".
Annotations:
  1. GREEN CIRCLE around the search input
  2. YELLOW ARROW at the autocomplete list showing CP11, CP14, CP22A, CP161, CP171
  3. RED CALLOUT: "Type with or without the dash — CP-14 and CP14 both work"
Type the notice code from the top-right of the letter. The search tolerates spacing and dashes. If you only know the topic (e.g. "levy"), TRH also fuzzy-matches on notice titles.
Common mistakeConfusing CP notices (computer-generated) with LT letters (collection series) and Letter-numbered correspondence (exam, appeals). Each has a different workflow. TRH shows the category badge on every result.
STEP 3
Read the plain-English explanation
SCREENSHOT 3.1
Shows: Notice detail view for CP14. Top shows category badge ("Collection — First Notice"), title ("Balance Due — First Notice"), and summary paragraph. Below that, sections: "What it means", "Why the taxpayer got it", "What happens if ignored".
Annotations:
  1. GREEN CIRCLE around the category badge "Collection — First Notice"
  2. YELLOW ARROW at the "What happens if ignored" section with "Next notice: CP501 (~35 days)"
  3. RED CALLOUT: "Every notice shows the next escalation in the sequence"
The explanation is written for tax pros — no marketing, no hedging. It always tells you what the next notice in the sequence will be and how long before it arrives.
STEP 4
Recommended response actions
SCREENSHOT 4.1
Shows: "Recommended Actions" panel with a numbered checklist: 1) Verify assessment on the Account Transcript, 2) Confirm payment history hasn't been misapplied, 3) If client agrees and can pay, route to pay.gov link, 4) If client disputes, file CP14 response within 60 days. Each item has a "Do this now" button.
Annotations:
  1. GREEN CIRCLE around action #1 "Verify assessment on the Account Transcript"
  2. YELLOW ARROW at the "Do this now" button next to action #1 labeled "Opens the client's transcript in the viewer"
  3. RED CALLOUT: "Each action deep-links to the relevant TRH screen"
Every recommended action is clickable. "Verify the assessment" deep-links into the client's Account Transcript. "File a CDP request" opens the Form 12153 builder. TRH turns reading a notice into a work plan.
STEP 5
Deadline calculator
SCREENSHOT 5.1
Shows: "Deadline" card with a date input ("Notice date printed on letter"), auto-computed deadlines for each available response path: Pay by (21 days), CDP request by (30 days for LT11), Tax Court petition by (90 days if a SNOD). Red/yellow/green urgency bars.
Annotations:
  1. GREEN CIRCLE around the "Notice date" input
  2. YELLOW ARROW at the CDP-by date showing "17 days remaining" in red
  3. RED CALLOUT: "TRH handles weekends, federal holidays, and mailing presumptions automatically"
Enter the date on the notice and TRH computes every applicable deadline — CDP window, CAP, appeal, Tax Court petition. Weekends and federal holidays are handled. "Last day to file" is always a business day.
Common mistakeCounting from the date the client received the letter. Deadlines run from the date on the notice (with the mailing presumption), not the date the client opened the envelope.
STEP 6
Cross-link to transcript evidence
SCREENSHOT 6.1
Shows: "Evidence" panel at the bottom of the notice detail. A dropdown "Attach to client:" picks a client, then TRH auto-highlights the transcript transactions that generated the notice (e.g. for CP14, the TC 150 / TC 166 / notice-issued TC 971 row).
Annotations:
  1. GREEN ARROW at the client selector
  2. YELLOW CIRCLE around the highlighted TC 971 row in the embedded transcript
  3. RED CALLOUT: "Proving the notice matches the account: one click"
Pick the client and TRH cross-references the notice to the exact transactions in their Account Transcript. If the notice doesn't match what's on file, TRH flags it — that's your opening for an abatement argument.
Done. You've translated a notice into a work plan with deadlines and transcript evidence. For deeper code references, see the IRS Codes Knowledge Base. Next: 09 — Troubleshoot common errors.
Not legal or tax advice. This content is published by Tax Resolution Hub for educational use by tax professionals. It is not legal, tax, accounting, or investment advice, and does not create an attorney-client or preparer-client relationship. IRS systems, forms, procedures, and statutes change — always verify against current IRM guidance, the client's actual transcript, and the facts of the specific engagement before acting.