If You Can’t Afford to Pay Your Income Tax, Representation Can Help

IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman announced Tuesday that IRS agents and revenue officers now have the authority to work with taxpayers who are having difficulty paying their bills. He was careful to clarify that not all taxpayers will qualify. He explained that this new latitude given to agents and officers of the IRS is not intended for taxpayers with a history of back taxes, but rather for those who have paid their taxes in the past and have fallen on tough times due to the current economic situation. The fact that IRS agents now have the authority to waive tax penalties and reduce fees means that Tax Masters now has more leverage when negotiating on your behalf. We are excited because this gives us yet another arrow in our already full quiver that we can use to achieve real tax relief for our clients.

In conjunction with Shulman’s announcement, the IRS launched a whole new section of their website discussing The What Ifs of an Economic Downturn. The pages include advice on what to do if you can’t meet your tax obligations or if you are negatively affected by other issues like job loss and foreclosure related to the economic downturn. I’ve discussed many of these tax problems over the past months and I want to reiterate that active IRS collections activities like levies, IRS liens, and wage garnishment don’t have to be part of your future. While we don’t believe you should follow the advice of the IRS to call them yourself, it is indeed within your power to stop aggressive IRS collections activity before it starts. We strongly encourage you to call us to talk about your options. Remember that the earlier you engage a representative, the better shot you have at achieving a favorable outcome. If you do choose to contact the IRS yourself, realize that the job of every IRS agent and revenue officer is to represent the interests of and collect revenue for the US Government. It is not their job to offer you advice or provide you with tax help, but to collect the money you owe using whatever means available to them. You have the right to tax representation and it is seldom if ever in your best interest to refuse that right.

If You Can’t Afford Your Taxes, Seek Help

If you are having trouble paying your federal taxes, you must act quickly to keep from accruing unnecessary tax penalties, fees, and interest. Ignoring IRS notices can get you into a great deal of trouble in short order and exempt you from certain tax relief options. And as Shulman cautioned, not being able to pay your taxes in full is no excuse for failing to file. No matter what your financial position or ability to pay, intentionally failing to file a tax return or filing a false return is a federal crime. It is in your best interest to seek tax representation from a credible tax relief firm before your inability to pay leads to increased back taxes and compromises your chance at reducing penalties and fees.

Tax Masters Offers Tax Problem Help

Shulman stated that taxpayers must be able to demonstrate their inability to pay before an IRS agent or revenue officer will consider reducing fees or penalties. The Tax Masters team is incredibly skilled at gathering your financial information, organizing it, and presenting it to the IRS in a manner that supports the desired conclusion. As with just about everything in the IRS, proper organization and the relevance of supporting data can make all the difference. If you are unable to make payments you negotiated with the IRS or if you can’t afford to pay your tax balance, Tax Masters can help you. Particularly in light of IRS agents having the authority to waive tax penalties, we will be able to negotiate more favorable payment plans and additional reductions in fees if you qualify.

Call us today if you can’t pay your taxes and let’s talk about your options.

Until you need us,

Patrick Cox, Tax Masters