IRS Notice CP2501: Income Discrepancy Inquiry
An early-stage letter, before a CP2000, saying the income on your return does not match what third parties reported. No amount is proposed yet.
- Respond within
- 30 days
- How urgent
- Attend to it
- Appeal rights
- Not with this notice
How long you have
This notice gives you 30 days to respond. The due date is printed on the letter itself.
The IRS's own guidance on any notice is short: “If we ask you to respond, act by the due date.”
What we do with a CP2501
The best time to fix a mismatch is before the IRS proposes a number. We respond with the reconciliation now, and a CP2000 usually never comes.
This page is general information, not advice on your specific matter. An Enrolled Agent has to read your actual notice and your transcripts before telling you what to do about it.
Decoded your CP2501? Now let's answer it.
Send us the actual notice. A licensed Enrolled Agent will review it free of charge, confidentially, the same week.