On February 18, 2021, the IRS issued the following statement for taxpayers and tax return preparers:
The IRS issued notices to approximately 260,000 taxpayers stating they haven’t filed their 2019 federal tax return. These notices, referred to as CP59 notices, are issued yearly to identified taxpayers who have failed to file a tax return that was due the prior calendar year (Tax Year 2019). Due to pandemic related shutdowns, the IRS has not completed processing all 2019 returns at this time. Therefore, the CP59 notices should not have been sent because some portion of the recipients may have actually filed a return that is still being processed. People who filed their 2019 return but nevertheless received the CP59 notice, can disregard the letter and do not need to take any action. There is no need to call or respond to the CP59 notice because the IRS continues to process 2019 tax returns as quickly as possible. The IRS regrets any confusion caused by this mailing.

The IRS encourages those who have yet to file their 2019 return to promptly do so.

Status of your 2019 tax return

The IRS is now opening mail within normal timeframes. The IRS has also made significant progress in processing 2019 tax returns. If your 2019 tax return has not been processed yet, refer to IRS Operations During COVID-19: Mission-critical functions continue, for details about how long to wait and what to do next.

E-filing your 2020 tax return

If your 2019 return has not completed processing and you are filing your 2020 tax return electronically, see our TAS Tax Tip: e-filing and entering the right Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) information before you file.