About TranscriptCodes
Plain-English explanations of IRS transcript codes, notices and letters — written so you know what happened and what to do next.
What we do
Getting a letter from the IRS, or seeing an unfamiliar code on your tax transcript, is stressful. Official explanations are spread across many pages and written in agency language. TranscriptCodes brings them together in one place: what each code or notice means, why it usually appears, what typically happens next, and the practical steps to take.
We also build free, simple calculators — penalties and interest, payment plans, cycle codes, mileage and the overtime deduction — that run entirely in your browser.
Who we are
TranscriptCodes is run by an independent editorial team that researches and writes every page. We are not the IRS, a law firm or a CPA firm, and we are not affiliated with any government agency. Our job is to translate official guidance into clear language — not to replace a tax professional who knows your situation.
How we research and check our pages
- Primary sources first. Pages are written from IRS.gov notice and letter explanations, IRS forms and instructions, the Internal Revenue Manual and the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
- Sources shown on the page. Each code page lists the official sources it relies on, and links to the IRS page for that notice where one exists.
- Careful wording. Where the IRS gives a firm deadline (for example 30 or 90 days), we state it. Where timing varies, we say so rather than guess.
- Dated reviews. Every page shows when it was last reviewed. We re-check pages when the IRS changes a notice, a deadline or an annual figure.
What we don't do
- We don't give personal tax, legal or financial advice.
- We never ask for your Social Security number, tax documents or IRS login — and you should never send them to us.
- We don't store anything you type into our calculators.
Advertising
TranscriptCodes is free to use and may be supported by ads. Advertisers never influence what we write, and ads are always clearly separate from our content. See our editorial policy and privacy policy.
Corrections and contact
Spotted an error or want a code added? Email hello@transcriptcodes.com. We review every correction and update the page and its review date when we confirm a change.