Your Overdue Tax Balance Is Active Again (CP571)
This notice tells you that a tax balance the IRS had temporarily paused is now active again and needs to be paid.
Why you might get this
- Your account was in a temporary hold or suspended status.
- That hold has ended, so collection on the balance is starting again.
- The overdue balance, with penalties and interest, is due once more.
The deadline
This restarts collection on an existing balance. There's no new legal deadline, but the balance is due now.
This notice doesn't carry a fixed response deadline, but it still deserves attention — see what to do below.
Got this exact letter? Solace reads YOUR notice and tells you, in plain words, what it says, any deadline, and your next step — free, no account needed.
Decode YOUR CP571 — freeWhat to do
- Confirm the tax year and the amount now due.
- Pay the balance, or set up a payment plan (an installment agreement).
- If your situation changed — for example, a financial hardship — call to discuss your options.
- If you think the balance is wrong, contact the IRS with your records.
What happens if you ignore it
The reinstated balance keeps growing with penalties and interest, and the IRS resumes its collection notices, which can lead to liens or levies.
Once reinstated, the balance follows the reminder chain again (CP501 → CP503 → CP504 → LT11/CP90).
What the IRS CP571 notice means
A CP571 tells you that an overdue tax balance the IRS had temporarily set aside is now active again. Accounts get paused for a variety of reasons — a temporary hardship hold, a processing delay, or another suspension of collection — and when that pause ends, the IRS sends a notice like this to let you know the balance is back in play and expected to be paid.
Because the underlying balance already existed, a CP571 doesn't create a brand-new legal deadline. What it changes is the status: collection has restarted, and penalties and interest are once again accruing on what you owe. In practical terms, the balance is due now.
The right first step is to confirm the details — which tax year, and how much. From there you have the usual options. If you can pay, paying ends the matter. If you can't, an installment agreement keeps your account in good standing. And if your circumstances have changed since the hold began, it's worth calling to discuss whether a different arrangement fits your situation.
Left alone, a reinstated balance simply re-enters the collection sequence — the CP501, CP503, and CP504 reminders — and can move toward liens or levies.
Solace can track when a paused balance comes back to life and turn a notice like this into a clear, plain-language next step.
Got this exact letter? Solace reads YOUR notice and tells you, in plain words, what it says, any deadline, and your next step — free, no account needed.
Decode YOUR CP571 — free