How Kintsugi Handles Tax Notices from the State

State tax notices are a normal part of compliance. Most are routine, and Kintsugi handles them from start to finish once they reach us. This article explains exactly which channels we watch, what happens after a notice arrives, and the small number of things we need from you so nothing sits unanswered.

Who Watches What

Use this table to tell instantly whether a notice is already with us.

What Kintsugi Monitors For You

Kintsugi Mail

Kintsugi Mail is your business's mailing address for state and local tax authorities. Our mail partner, Stable, receives and scans everything that arrives there, and the scan is shared automatically with your Virtual Mail Group. Our team sits in that group, so we see your notices at the same moment you do.

You can read anything we have received under Configuration > Kintsugi Mail > Mail Inbox. Owner and Admin roles have access to this page.

Kintsugi Mail is currently available in the US only.

Your Virtual Mail Group

Your Virtual Mail Group is the list of people who receive your scanned tax correspondence. Keeping it current is the single most useful thing you can do to make sure notices reach the right people on your side.

Owners and Admins can update it under Configuration > Kintsugi Mail.

The State Notice Channel We Cannot See Between Filings

A growing number of states no longer mail paper notices. Instead, they post a secure message inside your online state tax account.

Kintsugi signs in to your state portals when we prepare and submit your returns. That means a portal message is visible to us on your filing cadence, not continuously:

If you file annually in a state, a message posted the week after your return could sit in that portal for close to a year before we see it. Some of those messages carry response deadlines, and deadlines that pass quietly turn into penalties and interest.

This is the one place where we are relying on you, so it is worth a few minutes.

What To Do:

1. Sign in to your state tax portal and open the messages or correspondence section.

2. Download or screenshot anything you have not already sent us, including every page.

3. Send it to us through the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your dashboard.

4. If the notice mentions a response deadline, say so in your message so we can prioritize it.

What Happens Once a Notice Reaches Us

Whether it arrives through Kintsugi Mail or you forward it to us, the process is the same.

1. We review it. Our tax operations team reads the notice and identifies what it is, which period and account it relates to, and whether it requires a response.

2. We compare it against your account. Many notices are already resolved by the time they land, for example a filing reminder for a return we submitted the day before, or an assessment for a payment the state has not yet applied. We check your filing and payment history before we do anything else.

3. If action is needed, we open a ticket. Every actionable notice gets a tracked ticket so it is followed through to closure rather than sitting in an inbox.

4. We correspond with the state directly on your behalf. We handle the response, the supporting documentation, and any follow-up with the examiner or agent assigned to your account.

5. We come back to you if we need something. Some notices call for information only you have, such as an exemption certificate, a specific transaction record, or a document from before you started with Kintsugi. The faster you can get that to us, the faster the matter closes.

6. We tell you when it is resolved.

Refund Checks

• If a notice includes a refund check, we forward the check to your designated mailing address and notify you once it has been sent.

• Please Do Not Respond to the State Directly

• For sales tax notices, let us take it. Two separate replies reaching the same examiner, one from you and one from us, tends to slow the matter down rather than speed it up.

• Please also do not pay an assessed balance before we have reviewed it. Assessment amounts are often incorrect, or already covered by a payment the state has not yet posted to your account. Send us the notice first and we will confirm what is genuinely owed.

What Falls Outside Sales Tax Notice Handling

Kintsugi manages sales tax compliance, so some notices need to go elsewhere:

• Income tax, franchise tax, payroll tax, and corporate registration notices. Send these to your accountant or tax advisor.

• Notices for periods handled entirely by a previous provider or filed manually before you joined Kintsugi. Send them to us anyway so we can tell you what they relate to, but resolving them may involve records we do not hold.

If you are not sure which bucket a notice falls into, send it to us. Identifying it takes us very little time and it is better than guessing.

Three Things That Prevent Most Notices

Most of the notices we see are avoidable. These three habits account for the majority of them.

1. Approve your pending filings. A return that is prepared but not approved cannot be submitted, and the state records it as unfiled. This is the most common cause of "Notice of Intent to Assess" and estimated determination notices. Check your Filings page for anything awaiting approval, including zero returns. States still expect a return even when you had no sales in the period.

2. Keep your Virtual Mail Group current. If the person who handles tax at your company has left or changed roles, update the list under Configuration > Kintsugi Mail.

3. Check your state portals quarterly. Especially for states where you file annually or quarterly.

FAQs

Q: Does Kintsugi monitor my state tax portals for new messages?

A: Not continuously. We sign in when we prepare and file your returns, so we see portal messages on your filing cadence. Anything posted between filings needs to come from you.

Q: Kintsugi filed my return on time. Why did I still get a notice?

A: This is common and usually harmless. The notice may have been generated before your return was processed, the state may have applied your payment to a different period, or the notice may relate to a period before you started with Kintsugi. Send it to us and we will identify which.

Q: Does receiving a notice mean I did something wrong?

A: Usually not. Registration confirmations, filing reminders, and policy updates are all routine correspondence. Even an assessment notice is more often a mismatch in the state's records than an error on your side.

Q: Does Kintsugi guarantee I will never receive a notice?

A: No. States issue notices for many reasons, including tax types outside Kintsugi's scope. What we do guarantee is that every sales tax notice that reaches us is reviewed and worked to closure.

Q: The state called me on the phone. What should I do?

A: Take down the caller's name, the agency, any reference or letter number they mention, and what they said. Send that to us. A phone call usually means there is a written notice waiting somewhere, most often in your state portal, so check there as well.

Q: Will I see scanned notices in the app or only by email?

A: Both. Scanned mail is emailed to your Virtual Mail Group and is also viewable under Configuration > Kintsugi Mail > Mail Inbox. Only Owner and Admin roles can open the Mail Inbox, since Members do not have access to the Configuration tab.

Q: Is Kintsugi Mail available outside the US?

A: Not currently. Kintsugi Mail is a US-only service.

Related Articles

• You Received a State Tax Notice: Here's What to Do

• Types of State Tax Notices, Explained

• Is My State Tax Notice as Urgent as It Sounds?

• Comprehensive Guide to Kintsugi Mail

Need Help?

For further concerns, we're always here to help. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, just reach out to us using the chat in the bottom right corner of your screen.