The IRS used to be the terror in most peoples nightmares. Specifically, people who got behind on their taxes lived in dread of having the IRS catch up with them and freeze their bank account, sell off their home and so on. To promote voluntary resolutions, the IRS instituted a program known as the offer in compromise.
The offer in compromise program was designed to let taxpayers with back tax problems resolve their problems voluntarily. Instead of waiting for the IRS to catch up to them, taxpayers could come forward and essentially admit their sins. In exchange for this voluntary action, the IRS would consider a reduction of the amount past due including penalties and interest. To be frank, the program was a massive success.
Starting July 16, 2006, the offer in compromise program is undergoing changes pursuant to a new federal law. Ironically, the small government Republican majority in Congress pushed through this nasty piece of legislation known as the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005. The legislation dictates very specific changes to the offer in compromise program.
The biggest change is the new 20 percent rule. Pursuant to the new legislation, a taxpayer that has problems with past due taxes must send in 20 percent of the offer amount with their offer in compromise. The amount is not refundable nor will any offer in compromise be acknowledged if the funds are not submitted. The logic behind this legislation is baffling to many.
When a taxpayer gets behind on tax payments, they almost always get way behind. It is rare to find someone who is only one year in arrears. Ostensibly, most people that miss one year take the head in the sand approach. Fearing all kinds of trouble, they just ignore the situation. When the next year rolls around, they don't file again because they are worried about alerting the IRS. As a result, the amount of taxes due grows and grows, particularly when penalties and interest are added. While the offer is a small percentage of this amount, the basic idea is that you don't have enough money to pay the bill in the first place. The 20 percent requirement seems to serve no purpose other than to give people another reason to ignore the problem.
The offer in compromise was originally designed to get people back into the system. Studies and statistics showed that the government would collect far more in revenues over the years if taxpayers were given a clean start. For all intensive purpose, the new 20 percent rule conflicts with this purpose and hurts this program.
With the recent downturn in the economy, Americans find themselves not only facing unsecured credit card debt problems, and difficulties handling their home and vehicle loans, but oftentimes unable to pay their IRS taxes in a timely manner. There is IRS tax debt help available to anyone who finds they owe money for back income taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. The federal government offers many tax relief programs that are designed to help the taxpayer repay the delinquent IRS tax debt due. But if you are a struggling taxpayer with a large IRS tax debt, then repaying the full IRS back tax debt may not be an option for you and your family. In fact, it may seem like an insurmountable financial hurdle you will never be able to overcome. That is why there is an IRS tax relief program called Offer in Compromise.
Federal law does grant the IRS the power to agree to a settlement of your IRS tax debt for less than the actual amount you owe. Sometimes, the IRS can accept significantly less to end your IRS tax debt. However, the process of actually getting the IRS to agree to a tax settlement is not simple or straightforward. You may need expert IRS tax debt settlement help to insure that you have filed everything correctly and that you give yourself the very best chance to be approved for a reduced offer. The IRS does not widely promote this program and it is not a full amnesty program. It is however, a way to significantly reduce your IRS tax debt, and have the ?compromised amount? be considered payment in full for the IRS back tax liability. It is as close as you can get to a ?fresh start? with the IRS!
Knowing when it is prudent to seek professional IRS tax debt settlement help can be crucial to your success. The paperwork for the IRS tax debt settlement program is complicated. You are required to prove that you will never be able to pay back the entire tax debt, or that paying off your tax debt will cause ?undue hardship?. You must commit to a full financial disclosure. The IRS looks at your income and all your ?lifestyle expenses?. They even require an inventory of all your accounts, possessions, and the equity in your home. Getting approved can be a lengthy process and there are no guarantees you will quality for this form of IRS tax relief. The process can take up to a year. Having professional tax debt help can ?make the difference? between success and failure. You simply cannot be expected to know all the complexities of the IRS settlement process to insure your tax debt settlement offer is accepted. But IRS tax relief professionals can give you this ?much needed edge?.
There are a number of companies that are able to provide delinquent taxpayers with the IRS tax debt settlement help they need. Some of these firms are actually tax law firms, while some are companies with tax specialists that assist with IRS back taxes. These firms are typically staffed with tax attorneys, enrolled agents, CPAs, and even previous IRS employees who have the ?inside track? on how to successfully secure a tax debt settlement offer from the IRS. These companies will offer a free tax analysis which allows you to have your tax matter reviewed at no initial cost. These tax firms are also aware of all other IRS tax relief programs available should it not appear that you are likely to quality for tax debt settlement through the Offer in Compromise program. It is always advisable to check the record of any professional tax debt help firm or company you intend to contract with to handle your IRS tax debt problem. It goes without saying that successful resolution of your IRS tax debt is important!
Both Richard A. Chapo & Mansi Gupta are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Richard A. Chapo has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Tax Deductions and Tax. Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com - providing information.. Richard A. Chapo's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
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