The notice lifecycle

The notice lifecycle is the single controlled path every IRS notice follows in TaxNotice.ai: intake, case, evidence, response draft, partner review, delivery, IRS follow-up, and closeout. Each stage has a clear owner and a gate that must be satisfied before the work moves on, so a notice can never quietly skip review, go out without proof, or get lost between hand-offs.

The stages at a glance

For exactly what each status means and what moves a case between them, see case states & status flow.

Intake & triage

A forwarded IRS notice lands in the Intake Queue. TaxNotice.ai reads the notice and extracts its facts; your team reviews and corrects the notice code, notice date, amounts, and client match, then classifies the item for urgency. If a required fact is missing or unclear, the item stays in review rather than guessing past it. → Triage an incoming notice

Create the case

A reviewed intake item becomes a Case. The case links the notice to the right client, assigns an owner and a reviewing partner, and seeds the response deadline and priority from your notice taxonomy. One reviewed notice becomes one case. → Create a case from intake

Gather evidence

On the Files tab, the case carries an evidence checklist: the required documents for that notice type, what is already on file, what the client still owes, and any Power of Attorney (Form 2848) gap. Drafting stays locked until every critical item is satisfied and the required POA is recorded. → Gather evidence

Draft the response

When the gate opens, the Case Preparer works in the Drafts tab to build the response package — a template letter, a PDF form, or both — from approved templates and verified case facts. Submitting locks that version and assigns it to a partner. → Draft a response

Partner review & approval

The case moves to Partner Review. The partner reviews the exact submitted version, comments, and either sends it back for revision or approves and signs it. A revision returns the case to drafting; an approval produces the final approved package and moves the case to Approved to Send. Only partners can approve and sign. → Partner review & approval

Delivery & proof

On the Delivery tab, your team sends the approved package and logs method-specific proof — Certified Mail, Fax, or Phone Call. A case is only Sent to IRS once real proof is recorded; recording proof stops the pre-deadline reminders and starts response monitoring. → Deliver an approved response

IRS follow-up

After delivery, the Follow-up tab is the monitoring workspace. TaxNotice.ai watches the expected reply window: the case stays Awaiting IRS Response, escalates if the IRS goes silent past the window, or pauses when the matter is waiting on taxpayer action. When the IRS answers, your team logs the response and routes the next step — close, reset monitoring, request more information, or start a second submission. → Follow up and close the case

Closeout

When the matter is resolved, the case is closed with an outcome, final notes, and a client summary — or withdrawn with a reason. A closed case is read-only; reopening it requires a formal reopen with a reason, which preserves the original history.

What stays controlled

Because every stage is owned and gated, the lifecycle answers the questions that matter under review: what came in, who took ownership, what evidence supported the response, who approved it, when it went out, what proof exists, what the IRS did next, and whether the case is actually finished. That audit trail follows the case from intake to closeout.

Related

• What is TaxNotice.ai
• Roles at a glance
• Case states & status flow
• How cases, notices, and clients connect