Are you in trouble with the IRS for unpaid taxes? Although it may be tempting to ignore the problem, that won’t make it go away. In fact, it will make it worse. The IRS will often work with debtors who attempt to negotiate their tax debts, but will often prosecute debtors who don’t even attempt to pay.
If the IRS suspects you are guilty of tax fraud or tax evasion, you could have criminal problems on your hands. However, if you simply owe a lot of tax principal, penalties and interest, you may be able to settle the case, or discharge some of those taxes in bankruptcy. Each specific case is very different and you should consult tax settlement attorneys as quickly as possible who can help you either eliminate your taxes, or work out a plan with the IRS to gradually pay them off without penalties or other legal problems.
National Consumer Law Group represents individuals, as well as businesses, in their tax controversies with either the IRS or the local Department of Revenue. In most cases, we can get interest and penalties reduced and negotiate lump sum payments or installment payments of past due taxes that are owed. In some cases, the settlements can be for far less than you originally owed.
You may not be aware of the various options available to individuals or businesses who owe back taxes. The options greatly depend on the circumstances of each taxpayer. An effective attorney can help you evaluate which of these options could be right for you. Some options include:
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Bankruptcy. Bankruptcy won’t discharge some types of tax debts, and it depends on which type of bankruptcy you file, but in some circumstances bankruptcy can be a valuable tool for taxpayers.
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Offer in compromise. This is a program with the IRS whereby they will settle for a taxpayer’s offer to pay less than the amount of the taxes owed. This is not allowed in every case. It’s only accepted by the IRS if they feel the offer is equal to or over the amount they could collect from you.
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Penalty abatement. This is a method to get the IRS to forgive some penalties that have been charged on tax debt.
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Innocent spouse relief. Many married taxpayers file jointly, and each spouse is liable for all the taxes owed, and penalties and interest on the taxes. In some cases, it’s unfair to hold one spouse liable for some of those taxes and penalties, and that spouse may be entitled to innocent spouse relief.
If you have been contacted by the IRS about unpaid taxes, or are afraid you will be contacted soon, contact our tax settlement attorneys. We will help you both with federal tax issues as well as state tax issues. Contact us today at to learn more about the options available in your situation. |