How long do I have to respond to IRS Letter 544-I?

Consider requesting withdrawal. Check the date and any response deadline printed on your notice, and follow the notice's instructions.

What should I do if I received IRS Letter 544-I?

The IRS apologized for an inadvertently filed lien it has released. Request withdrawal to fully clean the public record. If you are unsure, have a tax professional review the letter before you respond to the IRS.

IRS Letter 544-I: Letter of Apology, Inadvertent Federal Tax Lien

Letter 544-I is the IRS's apology for a lien filed by mistake. Ask for withdrawal too, so the public record is cleaned up completely.

Numbers covered by this guide

Letter 544-I
Ltr 544-I
Letter 544I
544-I
544I
Inadvertent Lien Apology

Check the identifier and follow the instructions on your own notice.

Published by the Law Offices of Darrin T. Mish, P.A.Updated October 13, 2026

Notice: Letter 544-I / Ltr 544-I / Letter 544I / 544-I / 544I / Inadvertent Lien Apology
Urgency: Informational
Deadline: Consider requesting withdrawal

Your first move

The IRS apologized for an inadvertently filed lien it has released. Request withdrawal to fully clean the public record.

Letter 544-I, Letter of Apology - Inadvertent Filing of Notice of Federal Tax Lien, is issued when the IRS filed a Notice of Federal Tax Lien by mistake and then released it. IRM 5.12.3.12 directs the IRS to send this letter after an inadvertently filed lien has been released.

Inadvertent vs. Erroneous

The IRS distinguishes between a lien that was erroneous under IRC Section 6326, which gets Letter 544, and a lien that was filed inadvertently, which gets Letter 544-I. In practice, both mean the lien should not be there. The difference is in the procedural route the IRS used to fix it.

Ask for Withdrawal

A release ends the lien, but the release itself also shows up in public records, and a released lien can still be seen by anyone who searches. A withdrawal under IRC Section 6323(j) goes further. It tells the public the notice should not have been filed. IRM 5.12.3.12 specifically allows the IRS to consider withdrawal of an inadvertently filed lien even after release. Request it in writing on Form 12277 and reference Letter 544-I.

Keep the letter. If a lender or credit report ever references the lien, this letter and the withdrawal are your proof that it was the IRS's mistake.

If you received Letter 544-I and want the lien withdrawn, call us at (813) 229-7100.

Want a second set of eyes on this letter?

Free consultation with Darrin T. Mish, a Tampa tax attorney licensed since 1993 and admitted to the U.S. Tax Court. Bring the letter.

Call (813) 229-7100

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