Tax Accounting Professionals for Tax Resolution

First, figure out what's really owed and why. That means reading the notices, pulling IRS transcripts and checking which returns are missing. Then the work splits into two tracks: getting you compliant (filing what's missing, fixing errors) and resolving the balance (penalty relief, a payment plan, hardship status or an offer). If you've been audited, it also includes representing you through the exam and any appeal.

Both can represent you before the IRS. CPAs are licensed by individual states and often focus on audit and attest work or general accounting. Enrolled Agents are licensed by the U.S. Treasury specifically for tax, and the license covers every state. For an IRS collection or exam matter, what you want is someone who handles these cases regularly. Our founder is an Enrolled Agent whose practice is built around them.

Start with the numbers the IRS will use: your monthly income, allowable expenses under its Collection Financial Standards, and the equity in what you own. Those figures largely decide if the right fit is a simple installment agreement, Currently Not Collectible status, or a possible Offer in Compromise. Penalty relief can be layered on top. We run that analysis before recommending anything, because applying for the wrong program wastes months.

Sometimes. Failure to file and failure to pay penalties can often be removed under First Time Abate relief if your prior three years are clean. If they aren't, reasonable cause may still apply, for example after a serious illness, a death in the family or a disaster that destroyed records. The request has to tell a clear story with documents to back it. When a penalty comes off, the interest charged on that penalty goes with it.

Call us the day it happens. With a bank levy, the bank holds the funds for 21 days before sending them to the IRS, which is a short window to get a release. With a garnishment, it continues every pay period until something changes. Keep the levy notice, and have your recent pay stubs, bank statements and a list of monthly bills ready. We'll contact the IRS, show your financial situation and press for a release or an arrangement.

Possibly, but fewer people qualify than the ads suggest. The IRS compares your balance to what it calls your reasonable collection potential, roughly your equity in assets plus several months or years of disposable income. If that number is lower than what you owe, an offer may work. You'll need to be current on all filings and estimated payments. We work through the IRS formula with you before you pay any application fee.

Generally, yes, the IRS wants the last six years filed before it will approve most collection alternatives. That's not just a hurdle. Filing real returns often lowers the balance, because an IRS substitute return skips deductions and credits. When there are several years, a business, or payroll filings involved, we prepare them in an order that fits the resolution plan.

A levy release can sometimes happen in days. A payment plan might be set within a few weeks once filings are current. Offers in Compromise and appeals usually take many months because of IRS review times. The biggest variable is often how quickly records can be pulled together, so the more organized your paperwork, the faster things move.