Do you owe a substantial amount of taxes to the IRS?
If so, you’ve likely looked into establishing a payment plan.
What if you are simply unable to pay your tax balance?
In this case, you might consider requesting an offer in compromise, which is a last-resort option that allows you to settle your account for literally pennies on the dollar.
As the April 18th deadline for filing 2016 income tax returns draws near, practitioners may encounter some clients who don’t have cash to pay the balance due on their returns. Clients can avoid penalties but not interest if they can get an extension of time to pay from IRS. But such extensions merely postpone the day of reckoning for the period of the extension (generally, six months).
If you’re squeamish about filing your taxes because you owe back taxes and aren’t in a position to pay in full, you might be able to qualify for an Offer-in-Compromise (OIC). Depending on how much you owe, you could potentially save thousands of dollars in taxes, penalties, and interest by qualifying for an IRS offer-in-compromise settlement.
An offer in compromise allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. It may be a legitimate option if you can’t pay your full tax liability, or doing so creates a financial hardship. We consider your unique set of facts and circumstances:
• Ability to pay;
• Income;
• Expenses; and
• Asset equity.
The IRS will generally approve an offer in compromise when the amount offered represents the most which they can expect to collect within a reasonable period of time. Explore all other payment options before submitting an offer in compromise. The Offer in Compromise program is not for everyone. Read more
ALERT
Please use the most current revision of Form 656-B in preparing and submitting your Offer in Compromise. Use of outdated forms and instructions may cause a delay in the processing of your offer application.
An offer in compromise allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. It may be a legitimate option if you can’t pay your full tax liability, or doing so creates a financial hardship. We consider your unique set of facts and circumstances: Read more
A few years ago, a client came to me almost at the point of a nervous breakdown. He had been recently audited by the IRS and subsequently received a tax bill in the mail for over $180,000! After briefly perusing the documents he brought in, I quickly realized that something was significantly amiss with this tax bill. So I advised him not to panic, but to leave his documents with me. After comparing the audit adjustments with his documents, I decided that we had to go and pay the IRS a visit.
A couple weeks later, we were sitting down with the officer who had conducted the audit and his manager, and after reviewing the audit adjustments together, the amount originally assessed was eventually cut in half. The audit officer, who appeared to be a rookie, had apparently done a very poor job. Read more
You just heard or saw a commercial that promises, “If you owe the IRS $10,000 or more we can settle your tax debt!” Don’t fall for it. Even when you hear the announcer say “Yes, no problem! We can settle your tax debt no questions asked.” If you called and you’re on the phone with a sales person, listen to your instincts and hang up right away!
An Offer In Compromise (OIC) is what is being hinted at in these commercials. An Offer In Compromise allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. It may be a legitimate option if you can’t pay your full tax liability, or when doing so creates financial hardship. However, there are many things that must be considered and questions that any respectable professional will ask prior to saying they can settle your IRS Tax debt for less than the full amount of the debt. Read more
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