CP2566: The IRS calculated your tax because you didn’t file

A CP2566 means the IRS didn’t receive your return, so it calculated your tax, penalty and interest from what employers, banks and others reported. It’s a proposed assessment: you can accept it, or file your own return, which may lower the amount.

Where it falls

Proposed assessment

Deadline

Respond by the date printed on your notice.

Is it real?

Check it in your IRS Online Account, or see how to spot a fake.

Reviewed by [REVIEWER NAME], Enrolled Agent · Last reviewed [DATE]

What the IRS is telling you

The IRS has calculated what it thinks you owe for the year, using income reported by others. It’s proposing that amount, including penalties and interest.

What to do

File your own return for that year, with the response form, by the date on the notice. If you have deductions or expenses the IRS didn’t count, this is how they get counted.
Accept the proposed amount only if it’s correct. Return the response form, then pay in full or ask about a payment plan.
If you believe you didn’t need to file, call the number on the notice.

What happens if you don’t respond

The IRS moves toward assessing its proposed amount. Once a balance is assessed, collection notices follow, and the IRS can eventually file a lien or levy wages and bank accounts.

How ScrubJay can help

We file the real return for that year, and any others that are missing, so your balance reflects what you actually owe. See catch-up filing.

Common questions

Should I just accept the IRS’s number?

Only if it’s right. The IRS’s calculation uses reported income and usually leaves out deductions, credits and business expenses. Filing your own return may reduce what you owe.

Can I e-file my response?

If the tax year is within the past two years, the IRS says you can e-file through an e-file provider. Otherwise, mail your return with the response form in the envelope provided.