IRS Form 668-A Notice: Bank / Third-Party Levy Served
A Form 668-A is a one-time IRS levy served on your bank, a client, or another third party holding your money — the bank must freeze what's in the account that day and hold it 21 days before sending it to the IRS, and those 21 days are your window to get it released.
Deadline calculator
The Form 668-A clock runs from the date printed on the notice — not the day you opened it.
Estimate only, based on the standard 21-day Form 668-A window. Your notice controls — always use the specific date printed on it.
What a Form 668-A actually means
Unlike the continuous wage levy (Form 668-W), a 668-A grabs what exists at the moment it's served: the balance in the bank account that day, or a specific payment a client owes you. Deposits made after the levy date aren't touched — but the IRS can serve new levies.
The 21-day bank holding period exists precisely so errors and hardships can be fixed before the money moves. Releases during the window are routine when you engage: proving the levy causes immediate economic hardship, entering an installment agreement, showing the funds are exempt (like certain benefits), or showing a procedural defect in the notice sequence.
What to do, step by step
- 1Note the date the levy was served and count 21 days — that's when the bank remits unless the IRS releases it first.
- 2Call the IRS (or get representation) immediately — not on day 18. Propose an installment agreement or document hardship.
- 3Check what was in the account: deposited Social Security, disability, and certain other funds may be exempt or recoverable.
- 4Check the procedural history — if the final notice (LT11/Letter 1058) never reached you, the levy may be releasable on due-process grounds.
- 5If released, the IRS faxes Form 668-D to the bank; if not, resolve the underlying balance so the next deposit isn't levied too.
Common questions
Can I use my bank account after a 668-A levy?+
Yes — the levy freezes only the amount in the account at the moment it was served (up to what you owe). Money you deposit afterward is yours to use, though the IRS can issue additional levies until the debt is resolved.
What's the difference between Form 668-A and Form 668-W?+
668-A is a one-time grab of funds a third party holds for you (bank balance, a client's payment). 668-W is a continuous wage levy that takes part of every paycheck until released. Both are released the same ways: hardship, a payment arrangement, or procedural defects.
Can I get levied bank funds back after the 21 days?+
It's much harder but possible — the IRS can return levied funds in limited cases (its own error, or where return facilitates collection). The realistic play is stopping the transfer inside the 21-day window.
Checked against IRS primary sources — see how we source these guides. You can verify any notice directly at IRS.gov. The dates and instructions printed on your specific notice always control.
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