Tax Relief Helplines

If a taxpayer can prove they fit in the IRS guidelines for innocent spouse tax relief, they may not be subject to the taxes caused by their spouses or ex-spouses. In order to help taxpayers that are being subjected to IRS problems because of their spouse’s actions, the IRS has come up with guidelines for innocent spouse tax relief where a person may qualify for resolving IRS back taxes, interest and penalties related to a spouse (or former spouse).

An expert tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist can help you determine if you qualify for innocent spouse tax relief by helping you understand and meet these IRS guidelines You will also want to check out the answers below to the top ten innocent spouse questions that tax attorneys and Certified Tax Resolution Specialists get from people seeking innocent spouse tax relief.

You will need to file Form 8857, a Request for Innocent Spouse Relief with the Internal Revenue Service. Once you file for an Innocent Spouse Claim, the IRS will send you a questionnaire for the purpose of verifying the validity of your story. It’s a good idea to consult with an experienced tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist to help you through the process of sharing your financial information in innocent spouse cases as well as help you craft any additional letters or documentation that will bolster your case. Once everything is filed, it may take as long as six months for the IRS to contact your former spouse, review the evidence, and render a decision.

Unfortunately, there is no way to seek innocent spouse relief and circumvent a former spouse. In this case, former spouse is defined as officially divorced, legally separated, widowed, or living in a separate household for a 12-month period with no expectation of their return. The IRS is bound by law to inform the other party of the proceedings, regardless of your history with him or her, or the reasons behind the divorce. Some victims of domestic violence choose an Offer in Compromise Doubt as to Liability process instead of an innocent spouse defense. Ask your tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist about all of your options so you can choose the path that is best for you.

Yes, both spouses may file for innocent spouse relief for the same year’s tax liability.

If you filed a joint tax return, even if a divorce decree states that one spouse is responsible for amounts due on a previously filed joint return, the IRS holds both parties responsible for the tax, interest, and penalty due.   Your tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist can help determine if you are eligible for a measure that will relieve you of this responsibility.

You will need to prove to the IRS that you meet all of the following criteria:

You filed a joint tax return that featured an understatement of tax.
The tax discrepancy was due to the erroneous actions of your spouse.
When you signed the joint return, you neither knew nor suspected that there was a tax misstatement.
Given the facts, it is unfair to hold you responsible.
You initiated innocent spouse relief within two years of the IRS’s starting collection activity against you (after July 22, 1998).

Once an Offer in Compromise has been accepted for a certain tax year, that closes the books on it.

The answer varies with the type of agreement. (This highlights why it is so important to have a tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist on your side to make sure you understand clearly what you are committing yourself to.)

Form 866, Agreement as to Final Determination of the Tax Liability – closed that tax year for good.
Form 906, Closing Agreement on Final Determination Covering Specific Matters – resolved only those issues specifically covered in the agreement. Anything not addressed is still negotiable.

As soon as the IRS receives the Form 8857 from your tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist, they will cease all collection efforts until the matter is resolved. The only exception is if the collections statute of limitations is about to expire.

Your tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist can help you determine if your circumstances might qualify you for innocent spouse relief, but don’t stop paying while the matter gets sorted out. You will have defaulted on the agreement. If your petition is denied you will be liable for the full amount immediately.

You may file a subsequent claim with the new information, but you will not have tax court rights.

These questions are just a starting point, but they will empower you to have an informed discussion with your tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist, who can help you move forward and get on with your life.

What to Do When You Owe delinquent property taxes.

Delinquent property taxes, if you use them, you can put a little ‘fear. Property taxes, except taxes are often one of our largest Often you can pay only with difficulty. If you have problems with delinquent property taxes are some ideas to consider for solving the problem.

Communication is the key. First, you should contact your You will only get worse if you try toorder to avoid their calls and letters. If you communicate with the local tax authorities, which often will agree to a payment plan for the extermination of delinquent property taxes. If you do not hear from you, do not take it intends to pay delinquent property taxes, and move to more legal tools used to collect the debt.

When discussing the situation with you must know the amount of penalties and interest that were added to If the interest rate for delinquent balance greater that you will be able to secure elsewhere, you could pay a loan for the rest.

Your second step, if you are a mortgage on the house, talk to your mortgage company. Now is the time for you to offer the property with the mortgage payments. property tax component of your mortgage payment will be placed in your escrow account. The mortgage companyThen pay the fee next year’s from your escrow account. That will do nothing to with but the problem does not happen again assured.

Finally, pay the local tax authorities otherwise. Although it is only $ 20 – $ 50 per month, which tells to try to pay the bill. What we do not want to do is to pay nothing, because you can not pay the full balance. publicansJurisdictions that will prevent the installment plan, the tax authorities by a lien on your property.

If taxes are not paid in the end it may be your lien lien is sold to the highest bidder for a criminal. This is not the sale of your property only to sell the on your property. If after a certain period, has not yet paid the delinquent taxes, the holder of the lien for the bond and Schotten Acquire the property.

Property taxes that are delinquent can be a stressful time for everyone. But if you look carefully, the situation can be resolved. Working with the tax authorities and develop a plan to pay the remainder of the delinquent taxes. Then, keep happening again and to ensure that always pay the current annual property tax through an escrow account with the holder of the loan or the necessary funds every month for the annual property tax> Taxes. Planning the future and will not end once again, in this pickle.

You can run, but you can’t hide from the IRS. In 2008, the IRS collected .4 billion, .7 billion more than in 2006. And Congress has sent another .2 billion to the IRS this year resulting in a record .5 billion budget and hundreds of new IRS agents who have been hired to crack down on back taxes and delinquent tax returns. With the record federal deficit, Americans can expect more tax audits and increasingly aggressive collection tactics by the IRS.

But the good news is the sooner you take care of your delinquent taxes, the less penalties and interest you’ll owe. If you have unfiled tax returns or owe IRS back taxes, it’s important to figure out what the best IRS tax relief option is for your particular situation. It is also important to understand the process for resolving your IRS tax debt so you have realistic expectations and know which tax resolution strategies you can benefit from.

If you have unfiled tax returns it is always better to file them — whether they’re a couple days or a couple years late — than to not file them at all. Filing any tax returns that are due as soon as possible can help you resolve IRS back taxes and reduce additional interest and penalties.

The longer you put off dealing with past due taxes, the more serious your IRS problems will be. Failing to file tax returns makes you vulnerable to potential IRS collection tactics, such as a levy on your wages or bank account, and may be construed as a criminal act by the IRS, punishable by one year in jail and ,000 for each year not filed. Regardless of what you’ve heard, you have the right to file your original tax return, no matter how late it’s filed. So whether you have 1 year or 10 years of unfiled tax returns, know that there’s a solution to every problem.

If you owe more than ,000 in back taxes or have 3 or more years of unfiled tax returns, it’s important to hire an expert tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist. An expert tax relief professional can help you save time, money, and frustration by educating you up front on what you need to do to resolve your specific IRS problems – while helping ensure you don’t pay a penny more than you have to.

If you don’t file your taxes, the IRS may file them for you. What many people don’t know is that the IRS prepares substitute for returns in the best interest of the government, which often results in the overstatement of what taxpayers owe in back taxes and IRS penalties. So even if you can’t afford to pay your tax bill, it’s important to file your most recent tax returns, as well as any prior delinquent tax returns, as soon as possible so you can have the chance to state what you truly owe. This will ultimately save you money and help you avoid significant long-term financial repercussions.

If you qualify for an offer in compromise tax settlement, you can save thousands of dollars in back taxes, penalties and interest. Having expert representation can greatly improve your chances of successfully negotiating and winning tax settlements. If you don’t qualify for an offer in compromise, there are other tax relief options including negotiating for your account to be placed in a “currently not collectible” status. An expert IRS tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist can help you explore potential tax relief options.

If you can’t pay your back taxes in full but could potentially pay them back over time, you can negotiate a reasonable monthly payment plan with the IRS. A tax attorney or Certified Tax Resolution Specialist will aggressively negotiate an arrangement for the lowest possible monthly payment and options for making those payments.

Once an (also known as an Installment Agreement) is established, the IRS will not enforce collection action, including the levy of bank accounts or wages, as long as you remain current with all filing and payment obligations. However, interest and penalties continue to accrue. Additionally, a tax lien may be filed as part of the terms of the installment payment agreement, depending on the amount of the total back tax liability. While it is always in the best interest of the IRS to get a signed waiver, it may not be in the taxpayer’s best interest, so seek the advice of your tax attorney or tax resolution expert first.

The IRS is trying to put forth a kinder and gentler image in the face of the current economic meltdown. But the fact remains that in order to get the tax relief you need, you may need help filing those unfiled tax returns and paying the back taxes you owe. Remember that the key word in tax relief is relief, and you now have the power and the knowledge to make that happen.