The IRS seems to be having some computer issues. Recently it sent out 200,000 CP-14 balance due notices to taxpayers who filed electronically. These notices told the taxpayers that their balance was due by April 18, even if they had already designated automatic withdrawal from their bank accounts.
These notices were not to be processed in the middle of tax season, and instead should have been processed after the database had been updated to account for direct debit payments.
The IRS has stated that if a taxpayer consequently pays twice using direct debit and check, the IRS will automatically issue a refund for any overpayment.
It is important to note that not all taxpayers have received a Notice CP-14 in error. A CP-14 notice is typically sent when the IRS disagrees with your tax return. In the middle of the notice it will show you what they think you owe and the credits that they received in payment for this liability. Sometimes a payment you sent does not get applied to your account and you need to send them a copy of the front and back of the cancelled check. This notice is also used if the bank account you wanted them to automatically debit is incorrect so don’t just toss this notice out thinking you are one of them that was sent a CP-14 in error. Take it to your CPA to determine if you need to follow up.