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Got an IRS CP05 Notice?
A CP05 means the IRS is reviewing your return and holding your refund before it releases it. It is not an audit, and the notice does not ask you to do anything except wait, typically up to 60 days.
Updated · By Burak Genc, EA · IRS sources
What a CP05 actually is
A CP05 is a pre-refund review notice. The IRS has selected your return for a closer look and is holding your refund while it verifies the income, withholding, and credits you reported against the third-party forms filed under your Social Security number, such as W-2s, 1099s, and information returns from your employer or payers.
It is not an audit and it is not a bill. No one is examining your books, and the notice does not accuse you of anything. Critically, if you filed the return, the CP05 itself requests nothing from you: it does not ask for documents, it does not include a response form, and there is no deadline to reply to it. If you did not file a return for that year, the IRS asks you to complete Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, and send it as the notice instructs.
The IRS simply tells you to wait, generally up to 60 days from the date on the notice, while it finishes the review. In most cases the refund is released on its own once the verification clears, with no action needed from you.
Most CP05 holds resolve on their own
The fear a CP05 creates is usually out of proportion to what is actually happening. The most common trigger is a timing mismatch, not wrongdoing: an employer or payer filed its copies of your W-2 or 1099 late, or your withholding and estimated payments have not fully posted to your account yet. The IRS is waiting for its own records to catch up to what you already reported correctly.
When the numbers line up, the review closes quietly and the refund is released, often before the 60 days are up. You do not need to call, amend, or send anything to make that happen. Acting prematurely can even add confusion to an account that was about to clear on its own.
Two situations do call for action. First, the IRS may follow the CP05 with a CP05A, which specifically asks you to send documents supporting an item on your return (for example, wages, withholding, or a credit); that follow-up letter does carry a response deadline: the reply-by date printed on it. Second, if 60 days pass with no further letter and no refund, it is reasonable to contact the IRS or seek help. Checking your IRS account transcript can show a refund-freeze code and reveal whether the refund is simply queued or genuinely flagged.
Your timeline
There is no deadline to respond to a CP05, because it does not ask you to respond. The IRS asks only that you allow up to 60 days from the date printed on the notice for the review to finish. During that window the appropriate step is usually to wait and keep your records handy.
The timeline changes only if a CP05A follow-up arrives: that letter asks for specific documents and gives you a reply-by date printed on the notice. If 60 days pass with no CP05A and no refund, you can contact the IRS, and the Taxpayer Advocate Service can assist when a held refund is causing a financial hardship or the case is stuck.
What to do, step by step
- 1
Read the notice and confirm it is a CP05
Check the notice number in the top or bottom corner. A plain CP05 tells you the IRS is reviewing your return and holding the refund; it does not ask for documents. Note the date on the notice, since the 60-day window runs from there.
- 2
Do not send anything yet
A CP05 has no response form and no reply deadline. There is nothing to mail back. Sending unrequested documents does not speed up the review and can create confusion on your account.
- 3
Pull your IRS account transcript
Your account transcript can show a refund-freeze code and the status of the review. It often tells you whether the refund is simply queued behind late-posting records or has been flagged for a closer look.
- 4
Gather your supporting records now
Have your W-2s, 1099s, final pay stubs, and proof of withholding or estimated payments ready. If a CP05A follow-up arrives, you will be able to respond quickly and completely.
- 5
Watch for a CP05A follow-up
If the IRS needs proof of an item, it sends a CP05A that lists exactly what to send and gives a reply-by date. Respond by that date with copies (never originals) and keep a full copy of everything you send.
- 6
If 60 days pass with no refund, follow up
When the window closes with no CP05A and no refund, contact the IRS about the status. If the delay is causing a genuine hardship or the case is stuck, the Taxpayer Advocate Service can help move it.
CP05 questions, answered
Primary sources
General information about how this notice works, not advice on your specific notice. Read the dates and amounts printed on your own letter.
Arc & Ledger is an independent tax and accounting firm. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Internal Revenue Service or the Taxpayer Advocate Service. Our practitioner is an Enrolled Agent, enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service.
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