Owing The IRS

Owing the IRS money is a very serious matter. Often a collection officer is not sympathetic to your current financial situation, even if you feel that the error is theirs and that you do not owe the tax! So if you want time to gather documents to prove that you do not owe the tax, or owe substantially less, then you must still provide the revenue officer with the requested collection information. This information will reveal where you and your spouse work, and where your assets are, including bank numbers.



If you do not give the revenue officer everything they demand, whether they are right or wrong, you risk levies and seizures of your paycheck, bank account, retirement account, social security check, and any other source of income. No matter how friendly a revenue officer may appear, always remember that they work for the government, not you! It is their job to collect all the money that their computer screen shows, in the shortest period of time.



After examining hundreds of cases a year, I have found that most people, when owing the IRS, in their attempt to resolve the matter, will overpay taxes, not file all required reports correctly, or suffer unnecessary levies and seizures of their assets. There are ways to remove taxes because of statute expiration, penalty removals, offers in compromise, etc. These things are often missed. There are ways to bind the IRS into an agreement that will stop them from additional collection action. In fact, I believe that over 90% of the people who tell me that they are in an installment agreement fail at least one of the five necessary tests.

Solutions When Owing IRS...

When owing the IRS, don't call a revenue officer of the IRS without first visiting with a taxpayer representative who does this every day. There are too many things that can go wrong when someone who does not have the day-to-day knowledge and experience tries to handle a representation before the collection division. The collection officers are trained to use many tactics to their advantage. I represent CPAs and Attorneys who otherwise would be quite capable of handling financial matters. However, they recognize my expertise in this area, and that it is necessary to hire someone with my level of experience.