Legal Tax Services for Municipal Collections

It starts with the paper trail: your notices, IRS account transcripts and filing history. From there we total what's owed, spot missing returns, prepare the financial statements the IRS asks for (usually Form 433-A or 433-F) and contact the collection unit for you. The end goal is a specific resolution, such as an installment agreement, penalty abatement, Currently Not Collectible status or an Offer in Compromise, or a proper response if the collection grew out of an audit.

Yes. Enrolled Agents are licensed by the U.S. Treasury and have unlimited practice rights before the IRS, which covers collections, audits, appeals and payment arrangements for both people and businesses. Once Form 2848 is signed, IRS collection staff deal with us instead of you. A collection notice doesn't mean you need to hire outside counsel; if your situation ever calls for it, we'll tell you so you can engage one.

Don't wait for the next paycheck. Keep the levy notice, note the date and the contact listed, and gather pay stubs, bank statements and a list of your monthly bills. Once we're authorized on Form 2848, we can talk to the revenue officer or the automated collection unit, show that the levy is causing hardship if it is, and put a payment plan or other resolution in place so the release can be requested.

Usually. Installment agreements let you pay a federal balance over months or years. Smaller balances can often qualify for a streamlined installment agreement with less paperwork; larger ones need full financial disclosure. Either way, you need to stay current on new filings and payments. We look at the whole liability and your real budget before proposing a number, because a plan you default on six months later puts you right back in collections.

An Offer in Compromise asks the IRS to accept less than the full balance. The IRS compares your balance to what it thinks it could collect, looking at income, necessary expenses, equity in assets and how long the collection period has left. Many applicants are turned down, often because the math never worked. We do that calculation with you first, then prepare and manage the offer only if it has a real chance.

Often. First Time Abate relief can remove failure to file and failure to pay penalties for a single year if your recent history is clean. Reasonable cause covers events outside your control, like a serious illness, a fire or flood, or records lost through no fault of your own. Neither is automatic. The request needs an honest explanation and documents that back it up.

In nearly every case, yes. Collection alternatives require that all required returns be on file. Filing also replaces the IRS's estimated assessments with your real numbers, which are often lower. When there's an active levy, we may file the most recent years first to show good faith, then catch up the older ones as the plan comes together.

Bring every IRS letter you have, the last two or three tax returns, recent pay stubs or profit and loss statements, three months of bank statements, and a list of large monthly costs like rent, car payments and insurance. Businesses should add payroll reports and any Form 941 notices. If you already have a payment plan, bring the terms. The more we see up front, the faster we can tell you what's realistic.