Got a Letter from the IRS or Massachusetts DOR? Don’t Panic.
Every year, clients walk into my office holding a letter from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue or the Internal Revenue Service with the same concern:
“Did I do something wrong?”
In most cases, the answer is simple:
No.
Why You Received the Letter
These letters are usually routine requests for information, not audits.
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue, in particular, sends out form letters asking for documentation such as:
W-2s or 1099s
A copy of your driver’s license
Sometimes your final pay stub from the prior year
The IRS may send similar letters, often asking for:
Proof of withholding
Estimated tax payments
Identity verification
These requests are far more common than people realize. In our office, we see them 10–20 times per year, and the process is almost always straightforward.
The Important Part: It’s Often Random
One of the first times I saw one of these letters, it was sent to a teenager who had earned about $3,000 from a summer job.
There was nothing unusual about her return. Nothing questionable.
It was simply random selection.
That has proven true over the years. We’ve handled hundreds of these letters, and once the requested documents are provided, the issue almost always goes away.
What the Government Is Actually Doing
These letters are typically part of:
Routine verification processes
Data matching (making sure what you reported matches employer records)
Identity protection efforts
For example, the IRS sometimes sends identity verification letters to prevent tax return fraud, which is a growing issue.
In other cases, discrepancies happen because:
An employer failed to properly file a W-2 with the IRS
Information was reported late or incorrectly
Even then, the fix is usually simple.
What You Should Do
If you receive one of these letters:
1. Don’t panic
This is not an accusation—it’s a request.
2. Do not ignore it
Deadlines matter, even for simple requests.
3. Gather the documents requested
Most of the time, you already have them.
4. Respond properly
This can be done through:
MassTaxConnect (for Massachusetts DOR)
IRS online tools or by mail
If You’re Our Client
If we prepared your taxes, this is easy.
Bring us the letter, and in most cases:
We already have the documents
We’ll prepare the response
We’ll submit it for you
This is something we handle routinely.
Final Thought
Getting a letter from the IRS or the Massachusetts Department of Revenue feels serious—but most of the time, it isn’t.
It’s just part of the system.
You didn’t do anything wrong. We didn’t do anything wrong.
It’s simply a request for verification—and once you respond, it typically goes away.
Watch the Full Video
If you’d like a full explanation of how these letters work and how we handle them, you can watch the complete video here:
https://youtu.be/vHhaYUynQvQ?si=T_ZjztAlydxo5nHX
Need Help?
If you received a letter from the IRS or Massachusetts Department of Revenue and want to make sure it’s handled correctly, we’re here to help.
📞 Call or text: (978) 654-1473
Bring the letter in, and we’ll take care of it.