Pennsylvania: Your IRS Notice and the Department of Revenue
Federal rules govern your IRS notice, and our federal guides explain them. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is a separate agency that may write to you on its own. Read any state letter separately and use the agency's official site for state questions.
What the agency is
Pennsylvania's tax agency is the Department of Revenue (pa.gov/agencies/revenue). Its personal income tax page states that Pennsylvania has a personal income tax on resident and nonresident individuals.
That is about all this page says on the state side. Rates, deadlines and what you must report to Pennsylvania are for the agency to explain.
An investor's example
Say you sold shares during the year and the IRS sends a CP2000 saying the brokerage statement and your return do not match. The notice is the IRS's proposal, and you respond to it by the date printed on it.
Whether Pennsylvania has anything to ask of you afterward is a matter to raise with the Department of Revenue, using the contact options on its site.
The investor would gather the brokerage statement showing proceeds, purchase confirmations that support cost, and a copy of the filed return. A short letter that walks through each transaction, with copies attached, lets the reader follow the figures without guessing.
Handling both agencies
Keep it organized and simple.
A third folder for proof of mailing helps too: certified mail receipts, tracking printouts and a note of the date you posted each envelope. Mail close to a response date carries risk, because a postmark can reflect processing time instead of drop-off day.
- Open a folder for the federal notice and another for anything from the state.
- Write the sender and response date on the front of each letter.
- Keep copies of everything you send.
Spotting trouble
The IRS says it usually makes first contact by mail and that urgent threats or demands for payment by unusual methods are warning signs. Use the same caution with anything claiming to be from the state.
Check the sender before you share anything. Look for the notice number in the upper right corner of an IRS letter, search the IRS site for it, and reach the state through pa.gov/agencies/revenue typed in by you.
Where the tool fits
The tool is for the federal letter: it helps you gather facts and draft a response that you review and send yourself. It does not tell you what the state wants.
It organizes what you tell it, lines up the matching documents and produces a draft you can change. It is not a law firm, a CPA or an enrolled agent, and it promises no result.
Getting professional help
If a state letter and a federal notice seem to touch the same figures, a licensed CPA, enrolled agent or tax attorney can look at the documents with you.
A representative can speak with the IRS for you if you authorize it, and the IRS also points to the Taxpayer Advocate Service and Low Income Taxpayer Clinics. Bring your log and copies so the first conversation is productive.
A calm way to proceed
Most people feel pressure when two agencies might be involved, but the work is sequential. First answer the federal notice. Then, if you want to know what the state expects, ask the Department of Revenue directly and keep a note of who you spoke to and when.
If you decide to disagree with the IRS proposal, the federal guides explain how to write that response, and the sample letters show the kind of detail that helps a reader follow your facts. Copy what is useful, delete what does not apply, and make sure every statement matches your records.
Ready to respond?
Upload your IRS notice, answer a few questions, review the analysis and response strategy, fill in your details, and get a response letter you can copy or download as a PDF or DOCX file.
Start your response letterFrequently asked questions
Is Pennsylvania's income tax mentioned on the state page?
Yes. The Department of Revenue's personal income tax page states Pennsylvania has a personal income tax on resident and nonresident individuals. This page says nothing more about it.
Will the Department of Revenue see my IRS notice?
This page cannot say. Contact the department through its official site if you want to know.
Do the IRS and the Department of Revenue use the same deadlines?
No. Each letter has its own date. Use the one printed on the letter from that agency.
What source should I check for Pennsylvania details?
Start with pa.gov/agencies/revenue and the agency's own pages.