{"id":3292,"date":"2025-07-22T15:48:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T15:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/?p=3292"},"modified":"2026-05-12T16:41:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:41:35","slug":"lt36-the-irs-notice-hitting-525000-federal-employees-and-why-you-shouldnt-ignore-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getirshelp.com\/blog\/lt36-the-irs-notice-hitting-525000-federal-employees-and-why-you-shouldnt-ignore-it\/","title":{"rendered":"LT36: The IRS Notice Hitting 525,000 Federal Employees\u2014and Why You Shouldn\u2019t Ignore It"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m Darrin Mish. Tampa tax attorney, 32 years in, more than $100 million in IRS debt resolved.<\/strong> What follows isn’t theory – it’s what I’ve actually watched work.<\/p>\n\n\n

Something unusual just happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IRS quietly launched a new round of LT36 notices, and if you’re a current or former federal employee, there’s a good chance you (or someone you know) just got one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what that means – and why it could be a bigger deal than just another tax bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What’s in the LT36 Notice?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The notice starts like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“According to our records, you are one of approximately 525,000 current or retired federal employees who are noncompliant with respect to their federal tax obligations as of April 30, 2025.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That’s it. No balance listed. No context. Just a vague warning about noncompliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here’s the kicker: It also includes language like “lead by example” and urges you to “promptly” pay. And if you don’t? The IRS “will follow up with you directly.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They give you a QR code to log into your IRS account, view your balance, and either pay or start a payment plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why Now? The Timing Feels\u2026 Strategic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jessica Marine, a tax attorney who just<\/em> left the federal workforce this spring, raised the same eyebrows we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This new version of the LT36 showed up less than a month after the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rolled out new rules to fast-track dismissals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coincidence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe. But when you combine those two things, it feels like something more coordinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marine even said outright: “This could be a stronger push to enforce action against federal employees – up to and including termination.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Meet FERDI: The IRS’s Silent Collection Force<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t a random crackdown. It’s part of something called FERDI (Federal Employee\/Retiree Delinquency Initiative).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This IRS unit has one job: Collect past-due taxes<\/a> from federal workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And unlike the rest of us, government employees don’t always get the standard collection protections. FERDI can dock 15% of your pay or pension<\/a> – no hearing, no notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think being in a payment plan protects you, think again. Some of Marine’s clients who were already paying<\/em> still got hit with the notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here’s What You Should Do Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you received LT36:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Don’t ignore it.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Don’t just assume your payment plan protects you.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Get legal help now.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Even if you’re not behind on taxes anymore, this notice could trigger something bigger. There’s enough ambiguity in how OPM and IRS policies overlap to raise serious concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Marine said it best: “There’s a lot of unknowns around this.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Final Thought<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    This feels like more than a tax notice. It feels like a pretext.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If the administration is trying to quietly shrink the federal workforce, targeting tax issues could be the first domino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you’re in that world – retired or active duty – make sure you’re protected. If you help with this, give us a call. We can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n