Will the IRS levy my bank account without warning?

The IRS must follow a specific process before levying your bank account. Required notices before a bank levy: (1) Initial tax bill/notice (CP14 or similar), (2) At least one reminder notice, (3) Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Hearing (Letter 1058, LT11, or CP504), giving you 30 days to respond. Only after these notices and the 30-day waiting period can the IRS issue a bank levy. However, many taxpayers don't receive or don't recognize these notices because they moved and didn't update their address with the IRS, they ignored mail from the IRS thinking it was junk, they didn't understand the urgency of the notices, or the notices were sent to an old address. The IRS sends notices to your 'last known address,' which may be the address on your most recent return, not necessarily your current address. This is why keeping your address current with the IRS (using Form 8822) is important. In practice, many bank levies feel like they come 'without warning' because the taxpayer missed months of notices. If you receive any IRS notice, respond immediately to prevent escalation to the levy stage.