What to do if You owe Back Taxes

If you owe back taxes, you may be very scared about it. However, there is back taxes help available for you. Believe it or not, the IRS is willing to work with individual and business taxpayers on many levels. Don’t let the stress of owing them money stop you from enjoying life or sleeping well at night. Don’t assume they won’t come after you though because they can freeze your assets if they desire in order to get what is owed to them through various tax levies and federal tax liens.

Contact the IRS or a tax professional?

If you want the best back taxes help, contact a reputable tax representative such as an EA Enrolled Agent, CPA or a tax attorney who specializes in tax relief. They aren’t going to judge you for what has taken place. They are professionals, and they will work with you. Let them know what your circumstances are so they can review your case. You may find that there are more types of help than you imagined. If you do not want professional representation, do not ignore your back taxes, contact the IRS and work on resolving your tax problem.

Documentation

Always document who you talk to and what the conversation entails. Write down the date, time, and the name or the ID number of who you speak with. Keep that documentation in a safe place for future reference. If the IRS says they will send you forms, keep a good eye out for them.

If you don’t get them in about 10 business days, you need to follow up with the IRS. They will assume you got them, and then it is your responsibility if you don’t have them. When an offer is made that you are accepting of, ask the IRS to send you documentation in writing for your records. That will ensure you have something to back up your payments and your agreement should anything come up later on.

File Missing Tax Returns

If you have tax returns that are missing, you need to file them as soon as possible. The IRS will be limited with back taxes help until they can see the entire picture. If you have reasons why you can’t file those returns, such as your items being lost, stolen, or destroyed, then talk to your tax representative or the IRS about how to handle such a situation.

Negotiating

You will find that one of the best forms of back taxes help is negotiating with the IRS. They would rather collect some of the money that you owe them than nothing at all. They are more likely to accept a settlement based on your disposable income and reasonable collection potential. However, you will have to ask for this to happen. In many instances, you will also have to complete various forms so that they can approve lowering your amount of taxes due.

The IRS is willing to offer you back taxes help, but you have to be willing to communicate with them. When negotiating, offer them something that is reasonable. Offer them as much money down too as you can. For example, if you can offer them 20% of the tax debt upfront and then a set amount for monthly installments it shows a good faith effort on your part.

Consult with Tax Lawyers, Enrolled Agents, CPAs

Not only can it be time consuming to get back tax help from the IRS, it can be so frustrating. They don’t have enough staff dedicated to just this one area of tax problems. It can be a wait and see approach that has you on eggshells. You may want to consult with a specialized tax lawyer, enrolled agent or CPA to see what they can help you to negotiate.

Having someone on your side that is experienced with working with the IRS can help you gain some peace of mind. They can also assist you with getting all the paperwork filed, to complete a settlement that is reasonable, and to help you get your tax requirements back on track. You will find that most tax lawyers, enrolled agents are very well educated in the tax laws. Enrolled agents also are affordable so you will be able to get the help you need without it breaking the bank.

Mike Habib, EA is an IRS licensed Enrolled Agent and focuses his tax practice on resolving back tax matters; he has the tax relief experience and specialized skill set to assist you. You can reach him directly at 877-788-2937.