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...
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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...
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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.
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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...
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