Understand a tax notice and plan the response
Explains what a tax authority letter is asking for, the deadline, and the response options, and drafts a response outline.
The prompt
Help me understand a tax notice my client (or my business) received and plan the response.
The notice: [PASTE the text, with personal ID numbers removed]
Tax authority and country/state: [e.g. IRS, state revenue department, HMRC]
Tax year/period: [YEAR]
What we believe is correct: [e.g. "the 1099 income was reported on Schedule C, not Line 8"]
Supporting documents we have: [LIST]
Date received: [DATE]
Explain:
1. What the notice is - type of notice, in plain English, and what triggered it.
2. What they're asking for - payment, information, a signed agreement, or a response.
3. The deadline - as stated in the notice, and what happens if it's missed.
4. Do we agree? - compare their figures to what I've told you, and list where the difference likely comes from.
5. Options - agree and pay, partially agree, or disagree with documentation; when a payment plan or penalty relief request might apply.
Return:
1. A one-paragraph summary for the client.
2. A response outline (not a final letter): the points to make and the documents to attach.
3. A checklist of next steps with dates.
4. Signs this needs a licensed representative (e.g. an EA, CPA, or tax attorney) - such as an audit, large amounts, fraud penalties, or collection action.
Never guess at penalty or interest figures - use [CONFIRM AMOUNT]. Be alert to scam letters: verify the notice through the authority's official website or phone number. General information only, not tax advice.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Legal & Compliance prompts
What to fill in
- PASTE the text, with personal ID numbers removed
- e.g. IRS, state revenue department, HMRC
- YEAR
- e.g. "the 1099 income was reported on Schedule C, not Line 8"
- LIST
- DATE
- CONFIRM AMOUNT
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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