IRS Letter 1058 and LT11 are two distinct final levy notices that carry identical legal weight. Both are titled “Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Hearing” and issued under IRC §6330, giving taxpayers 30 days from the letter date to request a Collection Due Process hearing, which pauses levy enforcement while the case is under Appeals review. Ayar Law, a tax law firm in Farmington Hills, Michigan, represents taxpayers facing IRS collection actions, including CDP hearings, installment agreements, Offer in Compromise, and penalty abatement.
Both are titled ‘Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Hearing,’ but they are not the same document. Letter 1058 is typically issued by a local IRS Revenue Officer working your case in the field. LT11 is issued by the IRS Automated Collection System and is generally shorter. The legal significance is the same regardless of which version you received.
Whether your letter says “1058” or “LT11,” it triggers the same rights and the same 30-day deadline.
This letter carries more legal weight than any prior balance notice. Federal law requires the IRS to send this notice before seizing your property, which is why this document matters as much as it does. Letter 1058 is the final notice in a specific escalation sequence. IRS collection notices: what each letter means explains where it falls.
Letter 1058 does not arrive out of nowhere. Before this, the IRS sent:
Under Internal Revenue Code Section 6330, the IRS must give you a formal opportunity to request an IRS collection due process hearing before it levies. Letter 1058 starts a clock and opens the 30-day window for you to respond.
You have 30 days from the date printed on the letter, not from the date you received it. If mail delivery was slow, part of your window may already be gone. Look at the date in the upper right corner of the notice and count forward 30 days. That is your CDP hearing deadline.
A Collection Due Process, or CDP, hearing is a formal proceeding before the IRS Independent Office of Appeals. This is a separate department from the collections division. Its role is to review whether the proposed levy is appropriate and to consider alternatives.
A timely CDP request legally pauses levy enforcement pending the hearing. The IRS cannot garnish your wages or levy your bank account during this period if your request is filed on time. Filing the request is often the first step in immediate protection.
CDP rights are not renewable. For a specific tax year and liability, you generally get one opportunity for a CDP hearing. Once that right is used or waived, it does not reset. Missing this 30-day window has real consequences.
Not sure how to respond to Letter 1058? The 30-day window to request a Collection Due Process hearing is critical, and missing it can cost you your right to appeal. The tax attorneys at Ayar Law can review your situation and help you take the right next steps. Call us at (248) 262-3400 or schedule a confidential case review today.
If the 30-day CDP hearing deadline passes without action, the IRS is legally authorized to begin levy enforcement.
The future could hold:
Our guide on how to stop IRS levies and wage garnishments explains how these enforcement tools work.
These outcomes are serious and happen when no action is taken. Every levy begins with a final levy notice. Acting during the 30-day window interrupts that process.
If you miss the CDP deadline, you may request an Equivalent Hearing within one year of the notice date. An Equivalent Hearing allows Appeals review without pausing levy enforcement or preserving your right to go to Tax Court. It offers far less protection than a timely CDP request.
The strongest protection exists within those first 30 days.
One common outcome is entering into an installment agreement. This allows you to pay your tax debt in structured monthly payments. During the hearing, you can propose terms based on your current financial circumstances and challenge unrealistic payment demands.
Our breakdown of IRS payment plans and installment agreements explains the different plan types and qualification rules.
An Offer in Compromise allows qualifying taxpayers to settle their tax debt for less than the full amount owed, based on their ability to pay and asset equity. A CDP hearing can be used to advance or present an OIC as an alternative to a levy.
We explain the process in detail in our guide on IRS Offer in Compromise: settle tax debt for less.
If paying your tax debt would prevent you from covering basic living expenses, the IRS may place your account in Currently Not Collectible status. CNC suspends collection activity without erasing the underlying debt. For taxpayers in genuine hardship, this is a recognized and legitimate relief mechanism.
Penalties and interest often make up a significant portion of the balance. During a CDP hearing, you may request first-time penalty abatement or reasonable cause abatement. Reducing penalties can materially lower your total liability.
Find the notice date in the upper right corner of the letter. Count 30 days from that date. Do not rely on when you opened the envelope.
To request a CDP hearing, you must file IRS Form 12153, Request for a Collection Due Process or Equivalent Hearing. It must be submitted by the deadline.
Send it by certified mail to the address listed on the notice. The postmark date is your legal proof of timely filing. Certified mail provides documentation that can help protect your levy rights in the event of a dispute.
On Form 12153, you must state the reason for your request. This could include proposing an installment agreement, Offer in Compromise, CNC status, challenging the levy, or disputing the underlying liability in limited situations.
What you write shapes the scope of the hearing. Careless wording can narrow your options.
A CDP hearing is conducted by an Appeals Officer who is independent from collections. You should be prepared with financial documentation, a proposed resolution, and a clear explanation of why the levy action is unnecessary or overly intrusive.
If the Appeals determination is unfavorable, you may petition the United States Tax Court. The record created during the hearing matters.
A CDP hearing is a formal legal proceeding with real consequences. Statements made, documents submitted, and strategies chosen can affect your rights long term. Our guide on when to hire a tax attorney explains why early representation often leads to stronger outcomes.
Tax attorneys who regularly handle IRS collection cases know how to frame CDP requests, negotiate with Appeals Officers, and identify errors in the IRS’s assessment. That may include misapplied payments, incorrect penalties, or expired collection statutes.
Because the 30-day window is short, early involvement is critical. Waiting until the final days limits your ability to gather financial records and develop a thoughtful strategy.
No. They are distinct notices issued through different IRS channels. Letter 1058 comes from a Revenue Officer; LT11 comes from the Automated Collection System. The legal rights and 30-day deadline are identical regardless of which version you received.
You may request an Equivalent Hearing within one year, but it does not stop levy enforcement or preserve judicial review. You still have resolution options such as installment agreements, OIC, or CNC status.
Yes, if the request is timely. A timely filed Form 12153 pauses levy enforcement while the hearing is pending.
In certain circumstances, yes, particularly if you did not previously have an opportunity to dispute the liability.
It can take several months or longer, depending on the complexity and the IRS’s workload. During that time, timely filed requests protect against levy enforcement.
That is common. The IRS offers installment agreements, Offers in Compromise, and Currently Not Collectible status for taxpayers who cannot pay in full.
Received IRS Letter 1058 or LT11? Don’t wait. You have 30 days to act.
Contact Ayar Law at (248) 262-3400 to speak with a team who deals with the IRS every day.
Missing this deadline can mean wage garnishment, bank levies, and losing your most powerful legal tool to challenge the IRS. With the right strategy, this is a solvable problem. The clock is running. Acting sooner preserves more options and gives your attorney more room to intervene.
The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship with Ayar Law. Tax laws and IRS procedures are subject to change. Results in prior cases do not guarantee similar outcomes. If you received IRS Letter 1058 or LT11, consult a qualified tax attorney before taking action.
