IRS Admits Major Error as Taxpayers Who Paid in Full Are Being Told They Owe More

Upper left corner of US Treasury envelope showing address — Rix Pix Photography / Shutterstock

Is there anything more jarring than finding a letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in your mailbox? These notices are typically harmless—often notifying taxpayers of a change, correction, or delay in their return or that their refund has been updated. In less exciting circumstances, the IRS may issue a report alerting you of a balance due. These are classified as Balance Due, No Math Error notices, and usually have "CP14" located in the right corner—and they're currently infiltrating mail slots all across the country.

Pennsylvania taxpayers have been struck by a flurry of CP14 notices linked to unpaid 2023 tax returns, reports NBC-local affiliate 8 WGAL. The catch? These residents did pay their taxes, and on time, they stressed to the news station.

The CP14 form claims that individuals owe thousands of dollars to the IRS by June 24, in addition to penalties and interest for failing to meet the April 19 deadline. An accountant in the area also told 8 WGAL that 20 of his clients received similar statements despite paying their 2023 tax returns on time.

Tax phishing scams are more common—and intricate!—than ever before, but the IRS has confirmed these letters to be legitimate. And now, the government agency has issued a nationwide statement apologizing to law-abiding taxpayers "for the inconvenience this delay in processing your payment has caused."

"The IRS is aware that some taxpayers are receiving CP14 (Balance Due, No Math Error) notices indicating a balance due even though payments were made with their 2023 tax return," the agency acknowledged.

According to the IRS, taxpayers may see their balance as pending even though the IRS did receive and process their 2023 tax return. This affects those who paid electronically or by mail via a physical check.

"The notice may have been initiated before the payment was processed on the account, or the payment may have been processed but contained errors and requires additional handling to address the error before updating the tax account," the IRS explained.

Those who received a CP14 form but paid their taxes in full and on time can disregard the notice, says the IRS. However, if you didn't pay your 2023 taxes in full, the IRS advises following the notice's instructions to ensure your account is up to date.

Still have questions? The IRS says taxpayers can create or log into their IRS account to verify their 2023 tax return status.

"Taxpayers can ensure that their payment is on their account by checking Online Account under the SSN that made the payment. Note that any assessed penalties and interest will be automatically adjusted when the payment(s) are applied correctly by the IRS," the agency said in a statement to 8 WGAL.

"The IRS is researching the matter and will provide an update as soon as possible," they added.

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Emily Weaver Emily is a NYC-based freelance entertainment and lifestyle writer — though, she’ll never pass up the opportunity to talk about women’s health and sports (she thrives during the Olympics).Read moreFiled UnderNews • TaxesSources referenced in this article