IRS Letter 3164 Notice
Notice of Third-Party Contact
A rights notice, not a payment demand. The IRS is telling you it plans to contact people like a neighbor, bank, or employer about your tax liability.
What is Letter 3164? Letter 3164 tells you the IRS plans to contact third parties about your tax liability -- the IRS names a neighbor, a bank, an employer, or employees as examples.
What This Notice Means
Letter 3164 tells you the IRS plans to contact third parties about your tax liability -- the IRS names a neighbor, a bank, an employer, or employees as examples.
This is a disclosure notice, not a bill. It exists because the law requires the IRS to tell you before it contacts other people about your account, and the letter is that advance notice.
Why You Received This Notice
- 1The IRS states it plans to contact third parties about your tax liability as part of collecting or verifying information.
Important Deadline
The IRS states the timeframe for contacts is on your letter, but not more than one year.
What You Should Do
- Respond to any outstanding requests for information the IRS has already made.
- Contact the IRS using the number on the letter if you have questions.
What NOT to Do
- Do NOT assume the IRS will share your full tax details with the people it contacts. The page notes elsewhere in this notice family that disclosure to third parties is limited by law to what is necessary.
- Do NOT assume the contact period is indefinite. The IRS states not more than one year from the letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information will the IRS share with the people it contacts?
How long can the IRS keep contacting third parties?
Can I find out who was contacted?
Need Help With This Notice?
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Related Notices
Recommended Next Steps
- You can request a list of the third parties the IRS contacted -- the FAQ on this page describes how.
- If an old address or contact method is why the IRS hasn't reached you directly, updating it may reduce the need for third-party contact.
What this page does not say
- The page does not describe a Collection Due Process or formal appeal right specific to this letter.
- The page does not state a consequence for not responding to outstanding information requests.
Sources and last reviewed
- Understanding your Letter 3164 — Internal Revenue Service, retrieved 2026-08-24
Sourced to primary IRS materials and editorially reviewed on 2026-08-24. Not reviewed by a tax professional. Not tax advice. This page explains a notice in general terms and is not tax or legal advice about your situation. Always use the dates and instructions printed on the notice you actually received. Report a correction.