When a taxpayer has an unpaid tax debt, the IRS has several tools at its disposable to collect the taxes it’s owed. One of these tools is a levy, which is the taking of the taxpayer’s property and assets. The IRS will then use the property to pay off the taxpayer’s debt. But before the tax collection process gets to that point, a few things must happen first.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be your own boss? You’d get to set your own hours, decide what work to take on and do only what you want to do. While you may be able to avoid someone else telling you what to do as a self-employed individual, you can’t avoid paying your taxes. In fact, self-employed individuals often have to pay more in taxes than someone who is a W-2 wage earner. This additional tax burden is called the self-employment tax.
The IRS may make a number of decisions concerning a taxpayer’s taxes which a taxpayer may understandably disagree with. When this occurs, there are two primary paths a taxpayer can take to change the IRS decision: file an appeal with the IRS Office of Appeals or start a lawsuit in Tax Court. This post will focus on the appeals process.
The end of the calendar year offers a unique moment to save money on your taxes. Depending on your financial situation, you can take steps before January 1st and possibly reduce the taxes you’ll owe. Continue reading “Consider These Four Year-End Tax Tips”
The information required to prepare and file taxes is substantial. On an individual return, a full name, social security number, address and phone number are typically required. Then there are supporting documents that are either included with the return or are used to prepare the return. These include W-2 Forms, 1099 Forms and any other relevant documents, such as donation receipts. Continue reading “Identity Theft & Your Tax Information”
If you’re behind on your taxes, it’s only a matter of time before the IRS sends a letter informing you of your tax debt and the additional money you own in interest and penalties. But for most taxpayers, it’s impossible to pay off their tax debt quickly. After all, if they had the cash to pay off their tax debt, their tax debt probably wouldn’t exist in the first place. Continue reading “IRS Tax Payment Plan Overview”
When a taxpayer fails to pay taxes and the IRS’ initial efforts to collect the back taxes are unsuccessful, the IRS can take money directly from the taxpayer’s paycheck. This is commonly referred to as wage garnishment, although sometimes it may be called a wage levy. Wage garnishment is one of the more severe methods the IRS can rely on to collect back taxes and it’s not easy to stop, but taxpayers have a few options to consider.
We’ve previously written about tax scams, especially those involving the telephone. However, scams involving the telephone aren’t the only ones taxpayers need to be aware of. Another common scam, called phishing, uses e-mails and websites.
Perhaps you’ve seen or heard the television ads, where an individual claims to have their IRS tax debt settled for significantly less than what they owe. How is this possible? Through something called an offer in compromise, or OIC. But what is it and how does it work?
Having an IRS tax lien or levy imposed is one of the scariest situations a taxpayer can encounter. This fear is completely understandable given the immense power of the IRS. The good news is that the IRS won’t impose a tax lien or levy without first exhausting other collection methods. This means a taxpayer will usually have plenty of notice before things get so bad that the IRS will enact a tax lien or. However, if you are unfortunate enough to be subject to a tax lien or levy, below is some basic information about IRS tax liens and levies that may help figure out what to do next.
A tax lien is a legal claim the IRS places on a taxpayer’s property as a result of an unpaid tax debt. This legal claim will attach to basically all of the taxpayer’s present and future acquired property, including bank accounts, real estate and personal belongings.
This legal claim, also called a security interest, can create problems for the taxpayer. First, it can severely damage the taxpayer’s credit since any credit checks will reveal the tax lien and make it very difficult to obtain credit, such as a mortgage or personal loan.
Second, the tax lien will effectively make the taxpayer’s property the IRS’ property. This means if the taxpayer sells something that has an IRS tax lien on it, the cash proceeds belong to the IRS, not the taxpayer. This situation will exist until the tax delinquency is resolved.
A tax lien is considered to be more “serious” than a lien. This is because the tax levy will result in the IRS taking the property, not just having a legal claim to it. The IRS will take the taxpayer’s property then use it to satisfy the unpaid tax debt.
A tax levy can occur in several ways. First, the IRS can physically possess the property, then sell it and keep the proceeds (assuming the proceeds from the sale are not in excess of the tax debt). Second, the IRS can withdraw money from the taxpayer’s bank account. Third, the IRS can take a percentage of the taxpayer’s income. This is referred to as wage garnishment.
The best thing a taxpayer can do is to pay all the taxes they are legally required to pay. Only when the taxpayer fails to pay his or her legal tax bill, will the potential for a tax lien or levy arise. Assuming a taxpayer gets behind on his or her tax obligations, the IRS will send a series of written notices explaining the taxpayer’s tax debt and how to fix it.
The last thing a taxpayer should do is ignore the tax notices from the IRS. It’s when the IRS isn’t getting anywhere with recovering the outstanding tax bill will they take steps to impose a tax lien or levy against the taxpayer.
So even if the taxpayer cannot quickly settle his or her tax debt, they should respond to the IRS collection notices and arrange a way to pay off the tax debt. The IRS may agree to set up a payment plan or settle the tax debt for an amount lower than the full amount owed. There may also be other options, but it’s strongly recommended the taxpayer consult with a tax legal professional to discuss what they are and to decide which option is best.