A genuine IRS audit letter arrives by mail — never by phone, email, or text — and identifies the tax year, the items under examination, and how the IRS wants to proceed. Common versions include Letter 566 (correspondence audit), Letter 2205 (office or field examination), and the CP2000, which is technically a matching notice rather than an audit but works much the same way.
By Sam Brotman, JD, LLM, MBA · Last updated August 2026
Your deadline
The letter states a response date, typically 30 days. Audit deadlines are manageable — extensions are routinely granted when requested properly — but silence is treated as agreement, and the IRS will assess based on its own numbers if you do not respond.
What happens if you ignore it
The IRS disallows the items under examination, issues a report, and eventually a Notice of Deficiency — after which your only path to dispute without paying first is Tax Court, on a strict 90-day clock. Every stage of an ignored audit removes a cheaper, easier exit.
Your options
Respond with documentation, negotiate the scope, and contest what the examiner gets wrong — most audit assessments we reverse come down to method, not honesty. If the audit involves years of unfiled returns, cash-heavy income, or anything you would rather not explain to the IRS yourself, that is precisely when the conversation should run through counsel; communications with your CPA are discoverable, and a Kovel arrangement can bring your accountant under privilege.
What we do
We take over contact, control the flow of documents, and challenge the examiner’s method where it is wrong. Since 2013, Brotman Law has represented 400+ clients in audits — field exams, correspondence audits, and eggshell audits with criminal exposure. The IRS audit guide covers the full process.
Holding this notice now? Book a free 15-minute call or call (619) 378-3138. We will tell you exactly where you are in the collection process and what your options are before you spend anything. Our IRS collections attorney team handles these matters statewide.