Fortunately for me, the one person I contacted at the IRS was very helpful and told me exactly what to do to alleviate the situation. The main problem I had was the sword of Damocles hanging over my head if they didn’t agree with my assertion. By the time I got a response it would have been too late to go to tax court because of their processing time, I would just owe the amount they asserted plus penalties and interest from the initial date of their claim.
I never set foot in an IRS office, just snail mail correspondence.
I’ve been considering getting hooked up with a CPA, problem is, most people guard their info when it comes to good CPAs - it’s like they think they have personal ownership in them and wouldn’t dare let you in on their secret lest you somehow spoil the well. Even my brother is like this...
I will recommend mine, but he is in NH.