Ask Maxi · IRS letters

I got a CP71 from the IRS. What does it mean?

Answered by our team at Taximum · Reviewed by Sandie Kersten, 24 years in tax and accounting · October 16, 2026

It does not mean anything new happened. It means an old balance is still open, and interest and penalties have kept growing on it. The notice also warns that seriously delinquent tax debt can lead the State Department to deny or revoke a passport.

What to do:

1. Pay the balance in full if you can. Interest and penalties stop once it is paid.
2. If you cannot, pay what you can and set up a payment plan.
3. If money is tight, ask about a temporary collection delay, or see whether an offer in compromise is worth exploring.
4. If you already paid, check your IRS online account. Payments can take up to 21 days to post.

If it is ignored, interest keeps running, future refunds can be kept to pay the balance, and passport problems become possible.

An old balance is often easier to settle than people think, especially once every year is filed and there is a plan in place.

Send us a photo of the first page of the notice. We will tell you what it means for you and what to do next.

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