garnishment Archives

Do You Owe Back Taxes? Why You Should Stop Panicking & Start Planning

May 19, 2022

If you owe back taxes to the IRS, some amount of panic is understandable. After all, the Internal Revenue Service has the power of the federal government in its corner, something no other debt collector can claim. They are considered the most brutal collection agency on the planet.

It is easy to freeze up and just do nothing when you owe back taxes to the IRS, but hiding from, or doing nothing about your tax debt will not make it go away. In fact, ignoring the taxes you owe will only make the situation worse, since interest and penalties can really add up. You also risk having your paycheck garnished (the IRS does not need a court order to do this) or your bank account levied. The IRS can also file a Notice of Federal Tax Lien making it all but impossible to obtain financing for a car or home.

So instead of panicking about your tax debt and hoping the problem will go away, you need to take some proactive steps. Now is not the time to panic and hide – now is the time to start taking action.

Some of these steps you can do on your own if you’d like, while others will likely require the intervention of an experienced tax resolution expert. Here are some proactive steps you can take to get a handle on your tax debt. If you need help resolving your IRS tax problem, contact us here Get help from Ron Friedman, CPA. We help people with IRS problems every day.

Confirm the Amount Owed

When you owe back taxes, one of the first things you should do is make sure you really owe the money. The IRS has been known to make mistakes, a lot of mistakes, and the agency is far from foolproof. Contact the IRS or have us do an IRS transcript analysis to determine the amount the IRS claims you owe.

Seek Out Deductions You May Have Missed

At the very least, you may not owe as much as you think you do, and every dollar you can remove from the bill is one more dollar in your favor. Now is the time to scour your past and current tax returns, looking for deductions and tax credits you might have missed.

Unless you are a seasoned tax expert, you will probably need some professional assistance to make this happen. If you are already working with a CPA or tax expert, you can ask them to look at your past tax returns but only a tax resolution expert, who helps people like you for a living, can protect your income and assets as you go through the process.

If you missed a few deductions and tax credits along the way, your tax professional can file amended returns on your behalf, lowering the amount of tax debt you owe – and possibly eliminating it altogether. However, you usually can’t go back more than 3 years to amend returns.

Look for Special Programs You May Qualify For

The bad news is the IRS wants its money and has the power to collect it.

The good news is the tax agency also offers several programs tax filers can use to make the repayment process easier. In some cases, the IRS may even be willing to settle for less, possibly much less, than the total amount of back taxes you owe.

These programs are not available to everyone, and if you have the resources needed to pay your back taxes, the IRS is unlikely to give you much of a break. But if your resources are limited, the tax agency may decide that a small amount of tax repayment is better than none at all.

The first step in the process is finding the programs for which you might qualify, and that will probably require the help of an experienced tax resolution expert. Most CPAs do not have this experience. Negotiating with the IRS is not an easy thing to do, and you may need help to drive the best bargain and reduce your back taxes. In the end, it may be well worth paying a tax relief expert to negotiate on your behalf, especially if you end up with a much lower tax bill.

It is easy to panic when you owe back taxes, but you should not let fear get in your way. The longer you ignore the problem, the worse it is likely to get, and the sooner you act, the better off you, and your finances, will be. There is a solution to every IRS problem. Let us see what IRS tax debt settlement programs you qualify for today. Get help from Ron Friedman, CPA.

What Can the IRS Do to Collect Back Taxes?

January 11, 2022

Opening the mailbox and finding a letter from the IRS is frightening, but what happens next can be even scarier. The tax agency wields incredible power, and if they claim you owe additional taxes, they have many different options for forcing you to pay.

When the IRS claims you owe additional money, they will act quickly, and that could leave you reeling, and trying hard to preserve the money you need to pay your bills, feed your family and keep a roof over your head. If you are employed, the IRS can reach into your paycheck, forcing the company you work for to withhold part of what you are owed until the tax debt has been satisfied.

The IRS can also hold onto any refunds and government payments you would otherwise be due. If you have been waiting for that big fat refund check to arrive, you could be waiting a long time if you owe money to the IRS.

As if all this were not frightening enough, the tax agency also has the power to levy your bank accounts, including the accounts you need to run your business and your life. Those bank account freezes could leave you without the cash you need, putting you in a real bind and forcing you to pay back what you owe.

Your home could even be at risk if you owe money to the IRS. The tax agency could, for instance, apply for a lien against not only your primary residence but any other real estate you own. The threat of this kind of action has compelled many taxpayers to cough up the money the agency says they owe, even if they think the IRS is wrong.

As you can see, the IRS has wide latitude and plenty of power, and the tax agency is often unwilling to settle for less than the government says you owe. If you disagree with the amount the IRS is asking for, or if you simply do not have the money to pay the bill, you need to act fast. Ignoring the problem will only make it worse, and you cannot simply pretend that you never pulled that fateful envelope out of your home mailbox.

If you are on the wrong end of a compliance action by the IRS, you cannot afford to leave anything to chance, and you certainly should not try to fight back on your own. The tax code is complex, and far more pages than the Bible, and like that holy book, many of the terms are arcane and difficult to understand.

When fighting the IRS, you need the help of a professional, and that is where a tax resolution export comes into play. By working with a professional you can fight back on an even playing ground, and the money you save could be worth far more than the fee you pay.

Our firm specializes in tax resolution and helping people who owe the IRS or state $10,000 or more. We’ve seen taxpayers get blindsided every year by a huge tax bill and often falling behind on their taxes for years on end. If that’s you, we can help. Contact our firm today to discuss your tax debt settlement options. Get help from Ron Friedman, CPA

How the IRS Makes Your Life Miserable If You Owe Back Taxes

August 16, 2019

Have you received a notice from the IRS only to leave it on your kitchen counter, desk, or worse, just hide it under a stack of bills? Unfortunately, those letters from the IRS will just keep coming. Your problem won’t go away on its own. If you don’t take action now, the IRS WILL just … Read More…

If you don’t take action now, the IRS WILL just keep piling on penalties and interest…and interest on top of the penalties…

The IRS doesn’t like being ignored so this is how they get your attention. They want to be sure you know they are not going away. It’s like they haunt you with their ongoing letters. If you don’t respond to them, the penalties they tack on is like a club they keep hitting you over the head with. Penalties are just the beginning of what they can do to your life.

But that’s just the beginning…

The IRS has a lot of power over your life. They not only can freeze your bank accounts—that’s right—but they can seize all the money in your bank accounts too.

They can garnish your wages. They can legally take as much as 90% of your net pay check. Can you live on 10% of your net pay? The IRS thinks and expects you can!

Besides slapping Bank Levies and Wage Garnishments on you, they can put a lien on your house, making it nearly impossible to borrow against it to pay the IRS off. And if you sell your house the IRS gets their money first from any equity there is.

Federal Tax Liens prevent you from borrowing any money—except for those high-charging money stores located in mini-malls. An IRS lien makes it harder to rent an apartment, get a car, obtain any kind of credit; An IRS Lien can even jeopardize your job!

And believe it or not, the IRS has the authority to show up and knock on your door! Make no mistake—the IRS is the most brutal collection agency on the planet.

If you owe between $10,000 and $250,000 plus, the IRS has many NEW flexible programs available to taxpayers such as Offer in Compromise, Partial Pay Installment Agreements, Payment Plans, Penalty Reduction, and Currently Not Collectible Status to name a few. Each carries with it its own unique process, procedures and qualifications. Having an experienced Tax Pro in your corner ensures you are taking advantage of the best options available to you.

If you want an expert tax resolution professional who knows how to navigate the IRS maze, reach out to our firm and we’ll schedule a no-obligation confidential consultation to explain your options to permanently resolve your tax problem Contact Me – Ron Friedman, CPA CTRS.

Till next time,

Ron

Founder and President of Ron Friedman Tax Relief Pro
taxreliefprowestchester.com
ron@taxreliefprowestchester.com
Stop IRS Hotline: 1-800-TAX-FIX0 (829-3490)

As the best tax resolution and relief company in Westchester County, NY, and the tri-state area, Ron Friedman Tax Relief Pro has specialists to stop the IRS and help troubled tax payers get out of IRS debt. If you have back taxes owed, unfiled tax returns, IRS levies, liens, seizures or wage garnishments, we at Ron Friedman Tax Relief Pro can help you settle for a fraction of what you owe. As trusted, credible tax resolution specialists, we are vested in our client’s well-being and financial security.