Orange County Accountant

It’s possible to settle your IRS tax debt, but it presents a challenge. Proving you can settle your tax debt for less is a daunting experience. You have to contend with pages of IRS paperwork rife with technical terms. Settling tax debt is indeed a reality and it can be done. However, there’s a lot you need to know before you attempt to settle your IRS tax debt.

Rebuking the Lies – There are many rumors about settling IRS tax debt all over the web. While it is true that some people have settled their IRS debt for extremely low amounts, only a small percentage of people can qualify for very low IRS settlement offers. And only people who display desperate situations can have their IRS debt settled for “pennies on the dollar.”

Another misconception is that you can choose any IRS settlement amount and the IRS will approve it. It’s not that simple. In fact, it’s not simple at all. You have to submit Form 656 Offer in Compromise. You will have to detail your entire financial situation to the IRS. They will determine if the offer you send is fair or not, based on your income and assets. If your income and assets exceed the amount of your offer, your offer will be denied.

The Benefits of Settling Your Tax Debt – The first and obvious benefit of settling your IRS tax debt is saving money. IRS tax debt settlements have the potential to save you thousands of dollars. Secondly, IRS settlements quickly take care of your tax debt. When you choose to pay your IRS debt in monthly payments, penalties and interest continue to accrue on the account. But when you actually settle your IRS tax debt, the tax debt does not continue to grow. It is paid off in a “lump sum”. By comparison, paying monthly will make you feel like there’s no end to your tax debt problem.

Qualifying for IRS Settlement – Not everyone will qualify to settle their IRS tax debt. The IRS is going to weigh your finances very carefully. They need to know your gross income amount. Next they will look at the amount of money in your bank account, and the value of every single asset you own. If any of these amounts are the same or exceed your total IRS tax debt, you will not be approved for an IRS settlement.

Applying for an IRS Tax Debt Settlement – In order to “apply” for an IRS tax debt settlement, you need to file Form 656 Offer in Compromise. It will help you to include any documents supporting why you need IRS settlement. You can show them your income has dropped significantly, or that you’ve lost your assets, or anything else pertinent to your “desperate situation”.

You must double check to make sure you have filled out everything as fully as possible and signed the form. Leave nothing blank. If you make a mistake, your IRS settlement will be denied. You have to include a 20% settlement with your offer. So make sure you do it right, because the money is non-refundable. There is much riding on proper completion of Form 656 and the completeness of your supporting documents!

Getting Professional Help – You can try to fight the IRS “toe to toe” without any help. But you are not likely to succeed. There are too many laws and regulations that ordinary taxpayers simply are not aware of. So where do you start when it comes to settling your IRS tax debt? The best solution is a simple one. Consult with an IRS tax professional that will negotiate with the IRS for you. Having a tax professional on your side greatly improves your chances of winning and ultimately being approved for the IRS settlement!

Tax law provides many solutions for resolving tax debt. But if you were to contact the IRS directly, they would only alert you to one solution, and that’s paying the tax debt in full. Here are five popular IRS tax relief solutions you should know about to be more informed.

IRS Tax Settlement

It is possible to settle your IRS tax debt. But there are some pitfalls you need to know. First, take a good look at your assets and finances. If you have assets that can be sold to satisfy your tax debt or enough money in your bank account to pay the tax debt in full, you will not be approved for an Offer in Compromise (IRS Tax Settlement). Do not waste the money or effort if either scenario applies to your financial situation.

After you’ve determined that you have a chance at settling your IRS debt, you will need to fill out Form 656 “Offer in Compromise.” Make sure you fill out every single space, leave nothing out. Make sure to sign the paperwork, as this is a common mistake people make when they submit their own forms. You do not want your tax settlement offer rejected due to simple mistakes because you will have to submit 20% of your offer along with the forms. If your offer is rejected, this money is non-refundable.

You must also keep some common IRS tax settlement roadblocks in mind before you submit your offer. First, are you up to date with filing your taxes? If you are not, your offer will be rejected. The second issue is bankruptcy. If the IRS finds out that you have filed for bankruptcy at or around the same time you submitted your Offer in Compromise, your tax settlement offer will be denied. Finally, you need to remember that an IRS tax lien will not be removed when you submit your offer. Tax liens, with few exceptions, are only released when the tax debt is completely satisfied. The tax lien will remain until after your tax debt is paid off.

Getting an IRS Tax Levy Released

The IRS Tax Levy is a fierce weapon the IRS uses to collect on tax debt. If you do not reply to the IRS’s correspondence requesting payment, chances are high the IRS will use a tax lien or a tax levy on you. However, there are a couple of IRS tax relief solutions to try to get your IRS wage or bank levy stopped.

IRS Bank Levy

The IRS will send you a notice stating they intend to levy your bank account. You bank account is now frozen. After the notice you have only 21 days before the IRS seizes your money for good. Working fast is imperative. If you set up an installment agreement or make any kind of good faith payment before the 21 days are up, you can save the money that is in your bank account, and avoid the impact of the IRS tax levy.

· IRS Wage Levy

If you ignore your tax debt long enough, the IRS can implement a wage levy against you. This means the IRS will remove a set amount from your paycheck until your tax debt is paid in full. It is not unusual for the IRS to take up to 75% of your paycheck, leaving you a minimal amount to meet your own monthly financial obligations. You are certainly in need of IRS tax relief if you are the victim of the IRS wage garnishment. The IRS wage levy can also be released or “lifted” but seeking expert IRS tax help may be prudent as each pay period that passes creates more financial damage.

Installment Agreement

You can make monthly payments on your IRS tax debt. The IRS will calculate your income and assets when you file Form 9456. After the IRS determines you qualify, they will set the amount you can pay each month to pay off your tax debt. When you are approved, you must make sure not to default on your monthly payments. Your plan will be canceled and you will not qualify for another installment agreement for six months to one year. The monthly installment agreement is the most common IRS tax relief solution for payment of back tax debts. As you can see, the IRS provides many solutions for taking care of common tax problems. You have to act fast and make sure you respond to any notices you receive from the IRS as soon as possible. The IRS will not and can not be ignored.

When Negotiations Fail

Most people who call the IRS directly have trouble communicating with the IRS. The IRS is trained to collect money no matter what, so having them release your IRS tax levy is nearly impossible for the ordinary taxpayer. When levies are being implemented, time is limited. It’s a good idea to hire a tax care professional that can negotiate with the IRS for you, on your behalf. That will improve your chances at an IRS tax relief solution that is workable for you!