KIM: Hello.

My name is Kim from the IRS with news about notices.

If you´re like most of us, your heart may skip a beat if you receive an envelope from the IRS.

If it contains a notice questioning items on your tax return, we can help you understand and guide you through the process.

Your first question most likely is, "Why did I get this notice?" After you file your return, the IRS´s Automated Underreporter Unit compares your return to what third parties such as your employer or bank report to us.

If these amounts don´t match, they send you either Notice CP-2501 or CP-2000.

Or if the IRS reviews your return and has a question about some of the items you´re claiming, then you may get either a Notice CP-75 or Letter 566 sent from the IRS Correspondence Examination Unit.

These letters request that you provide proof for the deductions or credits on your tax return.

So, what do you do if you get any of this correspondence?

First off, don´t panic.

You often only need to respond to take care of a notice.

While you should not panic, it´s also very important that you do not ignore the notice.

Read it carefully and review your tax return.

If you use a tax professional, give him or her a copy of the notice to review.

If you agree with the proposed changes, sign and return the notice as soon as possible.

If you don´t agree with the changes described in the notice, it is important for you to respond.

Write a letter to the address on the notice explaining why you disagree.

Include any documents or material you think we should consider and keep copies of everything you send.

It´s very important to respond by the deadline indicated on the notice because not responding means IRS will assess the tax due without considering any of your information.

Your delay could also result in additional interest and penalties being added to the amount you owe.

If you have responded to our first notice and provided IRS with an explanation and it looks like we haven´t considered it, give us a call to make sure we did indeed receive your information.

We may ask you to send it again.

You generally have 30 days to respond to this request.

If you have any questions, call the phone number on your notice and have a copy of your tax return on hand to help us resolve your issue.

Or for more information about the process, visit our website, IRS.gov, and type the words "Understanding Notices" in the search box.