offer in compromise

This is a type of offer in Compromise where the taxpayer is agreeing to offer the IRS money in exchange for canceling the taxpayers outstanding debt. This type of proceeding will help the taxpayer cancel out his outstanding tax debts. This proposal may be denied or rejected by the IRS . The majority of offer in compromise applications are returned or rejected while 16% are accepted. If you do not follow the rules and guidelines set forth by the IRS for your offer in compromise than the full amount will be reinstated.

Basis of the Offer In Compromise Agreement

There are three areas in which a taxpayer can request an offer in compromise agreement These include:

Doubt as to Collectibility, Doubt as to Liability, or Effective Tax Administration

Doubt as to Collectibility means that the taxpayer does not have the availability of funds to pay the full amount of taxes owed. When an offer in compromise is requested it is usually that the vast majority of taxpayers do not have the money to pay. Alternatives to an offer in compromise based on doubt as to collectibility is the primary reason that the vast majority of taxpayers request an offer in compromise. Alternatives to the offer in compromise include installment agreement, a partial-pay installment agreement, or being declared not currently collectable.

Doubt to liability means that the... ...read full post

If you owe a large amount of back taxes or are faced with a debt this year that you feel that you are unable to pay, it can be stressful, to say the least. The longer that you put off paying the IRS, the more stressful it will get. The worst thing that you can do in this type of situation is to ignore correspondence from the IRS, because this will set other legal proceedings in motion against you to collect the debt. You could end up having your wages garnished or a lien put on your property, in serious cases. Using a tax lawyer is recommended when you don't know where else to turn, because they can help you find ways to settle your debt. One of these options is known as an Offer in Compromise.

It's important to understand that the Offer in Compromise program is not an option for all taxpayers. You will have to prove that you meet the requirements to qualify for this debt settlement options, with the help of your lawyer. It's estimated that only 1% of offers that are submitted are actually accepted by the IRS, which is why it's not recommended to attempt this on your own. Your individual financial situation will need to meet the requirements as set forth by the IRS.

To qualify for the Offer in Compromise option, you will have to prove that there is either doubt as to liability, or doubt as to collectability of your... ...read full post

Many people from all walks of life can end up with unwanted attention from the Internal Revenue Service. From the average Joe to self employed professionals to officers in large corporations. Even the odd politcian here and there ends up in the spotlight for serious tax problems.Further more tax problems also come in all shapes and sizes with many causes – everything from not filling, filling incorrectly, owing back taxes, payroll tax problems or even criminal tax evasion.

The one thing troubled taxpayers have in common is not their problems but the solution. IRS Tax Lawyers. IRS tax lawyers have the knowledge and experience to get federal tax problems back under control.

It’s important to note not every tax problem is the same, not every resolution will be the same, but overall there are a few main programs tax lawyers will relay on for many cases and they include most notably the offer in compromise, innocent spouse relief, installment agreements, currently not collectable or hardship status, penalty abatement, bankruptcy protection and reasonable cause.

A skilled IRS tax attorney will know which of these programs will be the correct choice depending on the circumstances the taxpayer is in. Many people have seen TV commercials advertising settling huge tax debts for “pennies on the dollar” however in most cases the tax payer will not qualify for such a program. However an attorney will be able to negotiate to either reduce the debt down or break the amount into payments, or delay the collection... ...read full post

Learn The Truth About The OIC Program

By now, most troubled taxpayers looking for a way to resolve their IRS debt have seen commercials from large tax debt relief services claiming taxpayers paid tens of thousands of dollars by paying only pennies on the dollar. Reactions to these commercials by taxpayers vary from "Wow I wont have to pay all this tax debt" to "It's scam no one really gets out of paying that much money to the IRS".

The actual truth about the "Pennies on the dollar" is somewhere in the middle.

While it is true some taxpayers can negotiate their tax debt by paying only pennies on the dollar with the offer in compromise program, the IRS has a very strict set of rules and a small percentage of taxpayers will actually qualify for the OIC program.

To help understand the Internal Revenue's reasoning and motivation behind the OIC program it's important to remember the IRS is not allowing a negotiated settlement because they want to be nice. The IRS is accepting debt settlement offers for less than the amount owed because they feel they will either they will get their money faster, or that they would not otherwise be able to collect any funds at all.

To Qualify for an Offer In Compromise the taxpayer (or their tax attorney) must show either of the following:

Doubt of Collectability

- Doubt of collectability means the amount of tax liability is correct but the taxpayer will be unable to ever pay the full amount... ...read full post

As an IRS tax attorney, I recently have had a number of questions about whether or not the IRS can levy on Social Security benefits. Many people are under the impression that the IRS cannot take your Social Security benefits. However, just the opposite is true. The IRS can take your Social Security to satisfy a tax debt. In fact, not only can the Federal Payment Levy Program allow the IRS to dip into some Social Benefits paid to you, but it can also take money that you’ve received from:

- Federal employee retirement annuities,

- Federal payments made to you as a contractor/vendor doing business with the government (including Defense contracts),

- Federal employee travel advances or reimbursements,

- And some federal salaries.

If you have questions about the IRS taking your Social Security benefits or any other IRS related questions, please contact Tax Attorney Mary E. King at (941) 906-7585 for your free consultation.

... ...read full post

Over the years as I have been representing clients who have IRS problems, the IRS has been strict in its official requirements for accepting an Offer in Compromise (OIC). However, over the past year, with the downturn in the economy, the IRS has relaxed its unofficial position on its requirements for accepting an OIC, as well as other tax debt settlement options. Therefore, I have seen more taxpayer clients who have been able to qualify for an Offer in Compromise.

Generally speaking, an Offer in Compromise is where the IRS accepts less money than the taxpayer owes to settle their outstanding liability with the IRS. The IRS will only accept an OIC when all other tax collection alternatives have been exhausted. Other IRS tax collection alternatives may be a short extension of time to pay, an installment agreement (making monthly payments until the debt is paid in full), full payment of the debt or hardship status. Hardship status is where the taxpayer is unable to pay anything against their tax liability at the present time. It is usually a temporary solution due to unemployment or illness. Finally, a taxpayer may qualify for a bankruptcy discharge of the tax liability.

When the IRS considers an OIC, it is looking at the taxpayer’s Reasonable Collection Potential (RCP). The RCP is how the IRS determines whether or not a taxpayer has... ...read full post