Written by Scott Allen

What you should know about the Taxpayer Advocate Service—TAS?

Taxpayer Advocate Service in Arizona

The Taxpayer Advocate Service –TAS, was set up to assist taxpayer who feel that the IRS process is not working properly.  The TAS represents you and is free to all taxpayers.  One becomes eligible to use the TAS after they have tried to resolve their tax problem through normal IRS procedures and failed.  This service is available for individuals and businesses.  Each State has at least one local taxpayer advocate office.  For more information on when to utilize the services of TAS you can contact me or call them at 1-877-777-4778.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc     Scott Allen E.A.    Helping Taxpayers in Arizona

 

Written by Scott Allen

Is the IRS kinder and gentler?

Is the IRS kind?

In the last 44 years, we have seen little change in the attitude or position of the IRS towards collection of taxes owed.  The IRS is just an extension of our federal government.  It is a huge bureaucracy and the culture within the IRS is very slow to change.

What changes is the areas of emphasis in their work.  They will try different systems and strategies but they always come back to what has worked in the past.  For example, the IRS has been contracting with outside private debt collection agencies.  If you have absolute power to take someone’s property and wages, why would you even think that another collector without those powers could do better?  It was doomed to fail from the start.

The IRS will replace the private debt collection agencies by hiring over 2000 new collection officers in 2022.  These new bill collectors hired by the IRS have the power to file liens, levy wages and seize property.  Most will have the ability to do extensive investigations and they will likely make their first contact with you at your home or business.

IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said, “I believe this work is best done by IRS employees, and I believe we have strong support from the Administration and the Congress for increased IRS enforcement resources going forward.”  Some clients interpret “kindler and gentler,” to mean the IRS will make it easier to pay or let you pay less than your fair share.  Kindler and gentler was just mask.  It is the same tiger behind the mask and as I have said many times, “when your head is in the mouth of a tiger, say nice tiger.”

We do not know how the IRS will place these new collections officers.  Will they go towards local enforcement by hiring more Revenue Officers or towards centralized collections by hiring more personnel at the Automated Collection Service?  Now that we are more than half way through 2022, we still do not see any significant change because of the number of new personnel hired by the IRS.  That is understandable since it takes about two years before they are turned loose on taxpayers.  Right now most are acting in supportive roles.

Scott Allen E. A.     Tax Debt Advisors, Inc     stopIRSaction.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

What Should I do if the IRS Knocks on my Door in Arizona?

IRS Knock on my Door in Arizona

If a Revenue Officer knocks on your door in Arizona, technically you do not have to let them in.  But you should be courteous and ask if you can have a representative contact them.  A good way to respond is to say something like, “I will provide all the information you request, but I would like to consult my representative and have them represent me.”

A Revenue Office is entitled to your financial information but it is best to request a list of all the information that they want and a reasonable deadline.  It is too easy to try to please the RO and not provide accurate or complete information.

Most Revenue Officers are please that you have representation as long as they respect the person you choose.  Many national companies have poor track records with the IRS and the RO will usually ask who you are considering using.  They cannot make suggestions on who to use but they will likely tell you if you are considering someone with a bad reputation.  The key here is to handle unannounced IRS visits with courtesy, but remember you have rights to representation before disclosure.

Scott Allen E. A.     Tax Debt Advisors, Inc     Mesa Arizona    taxdebtadvisors.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

IRS Notices

IRS Notices on Arizona Taxpayers

Here are the three most common IRS notices:

CP 2000—Proposed Changes to Your Return/Notice of Unreported Income.  If income has been reported to the IRS that is not on your return you will get this notice.  If you disagree with this notice you have 30 days from the date of this letter to file an appeal with the IRS Appeals Office.

CP 22E—Examination Adjustment Notice, Balance Due.  This notice explains the amount due from an audit.  You can either pay the amount due or set up an installment arrangement.  If you qualify you can also file for an Offer in Compromise.

CP 523—IMF Installment Agreement Default Notice.  This letter informs you that the IRS intends to terminate your installment agreement.  You have 30 days to file an appeal if you do not agree that your installment agreement should have been put in default status.

Scott Allen, EA

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc helping Arizona Taxpayers

taxdebtadvisors.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

IRS much more aggressive on filing Tax Liens

IRS Tax Liens

The IRS has aggressively increased the number of liens issue in 2009 over 1999—475% more.  Even Nina Olson, the national tax payer advocate concedes that it is causing unnecessary harm to some taxpayers and even reducing the amount the IRS is able to collect.  Olson told CNNMoney, “Taxpayers are being greatly harmed for very little benefit to the government.”  Nina says that tax lien issuance is one of the top five problems that Congress must deal with to help taxpayers.

When you are under threat of a tax lien being filed, it is important to consider arguing, with professional help, the disadvantages a tax lien will cause to delay the payment of delinquent taxes.  The IRS allows taxpayers an opportunity to argue their case before the Office of Appeals.  Serious consideration of filing an appeal should be made so that you are not limited in your ability to pay off your tax debt due to a tax lien.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc

taxdebtadvisors.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

What is the difference between Revenue Officers, Revenue Agents and Special Agents?

 IRS Revenue Officer in Phoenix AZ

A Revenue Officer in Phoenix AZ is responsible for collecting taxes.  If someone comes to your home or place of business from the IRS it is probably a Revenue Officer.  They are responsible to for collecting taxes and locating nonfliers.  Their first priority is to find out the quickest way to collect the taxes owed.  They carry badges to identify who they are.  If you ignore their requests you may soon find that your wages or bank accounts are levied.  They are graded on the number of cases they close and the amount of money they collect.

A Revenue Agent in Phoenix AZ audits tax returns filed.  They have authority to meet you at your home or place of business.  Most taxpayers are notified of an audit by mail.  They are trained to find unreported income.  If the amount of unreported income is significant your case can be turned over for a criminal investigation.

Special Agents in Phoenix AZ do criminal investigations.  Special agents make unannounced visits and have a prepared list of questions.  If you are contacted by Special Agents, you should respectfully decline to answer their questions and seek legal counsel.

I work everyday with Revenue Agents and Revenue Officers in Phoenix AZ.  If you are contacted by an IRS Special Agent, I can refer you to an attorney who specializes in IRS criminal investigations.

Scott Allen E. A. (Enrolled Agent)

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc near Phoenix AZ

taxdebtadvisors.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

Can I stop an IRS audit by filing bankruptcy?

IRS Audit and Bankruptcy

Even though filing a bankruptcy can stop all collection action, it doesn’t prevent the IRS from doing an audit.  An audit also extends the time that you can file a bankruptcy.  A bankruptcy can only be filed on a tax year 240 days from the time the audit was completed and any additional taxes assessed.

If you are going to file a bankruptcy to discharge your IRS taxes, then an audit is really only going to cause a temporary delay.  If you owe more taxes, the silver lining in an audit is that you will also get those taxes settled.  The only issue is what to do for the additional 240 days before filing a bankruptcy.  In most cases, we put our clients in a non collectible status or an installment arrangement.  If you qualify for a non collectible you do not have to make any payments to the IRS.  If you are put on a monthly payment plan, most clients make an average of 4 or 5 payments before they can file their bankruptcy.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc

www.stopIRSaction.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

Why should I consider discharging taxes in bankruptcy?

Discharging Tax in Bankruptcy Chandler AZ

1)      Filing a bankruptcy will immediately stop all levy and seizure action.  Levies against wages and bank accounts are released.

2)      The IRS has no decision power on bankruptcy matters.  If you can file a bankruptcy and the taxes are qualified for discharge, the bankruptcy option will work every time.

3)      Bankruptcy takes care of not only the tax due but also interest and penalties.

4)      Offers are becoming increasingly difficult to get IRS acceptance.

5)      Discharging tax in bankruptcy Chandler AZ can solve both your tax and not tax debt.  If you have significant credit card debt, a judgment against you or large medical bills, filing a bankruptcy can resolve all of your debt issues.

6)      An offer in compromise will only take care of your IRS debt.  If you owe state taxes, the option of filing bankruptcy to discharge federal and state taxes is a major advantage over filing an offer in compromise.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc

taxdebtadvisors.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

What is an SFR return and the purpose of the SFR Unit?

IRS SFR Return help near Gilbert Arizona

SFR stands for substitute for return.  When a tax return has not been file for an extended period of time, the IRS will eventually file a substitute return that calculates the tax based on income reported with no deductions.  If a person was filing jointly before, the IRS will file the SFR return as married filing separate.  The purpose of the SFR unit is to prepare the substitute return and process any returns that are later filed as a “protest” against the SFR return by the taxpayer.  When filing a return in response to an SFR, it is best to send it to the SFR unit that is responsible for making any adjustments to the SFR amount owed.  The turn around time to get a tax balance lowered after filing a correct return can take several months.  SFR returns are not dischargeable in a bankruptcy since they are not considered filed returns.  However the SFR does have the same 10 statute of limitations for collection as a return filed by a taxpayer.

Before making any decisions on how to handle an IRS SFR return near Gilbert Arizona it is critical to first discuss your situation with a tax professional.

Scott Allen E. A. at 480-926-9300

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc near Gilbert Arizona

taxdebtadvisors.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

What is a hardship status with the IRS?

IRS Hardship Status Tempe Arizona

The IRS will stop collection action if you can show economic hardship.  That doesn’t mean that the tax or the interest and penalties on the tax go away.  You still owe the IRS, they are just not requiring you to make any payment towards the debt owed.  Currently not collectible is referred to as status 53 at the IRS.

To qualify for IRS hardship status Tempe Arizona the IRS will collect financial information about your monthly income and expenses.  If your income and monthly expenses are close to being equal the IRS will consider you currently not collectible.  However, the IRS has certain amounts that they consider reasonable for expenses.  For example, the IRS feels that you car payment should be $588 per month or less.  If your car payment is $800, the IRS will not allow you to be put on a hardship status.  To be fair, the IRS can’t allow someone with a nice car be on a hardship status while the taxpayer with a car within their acceptable limit be required to make monthly payments on their IRS debt.

Qualifying for IRS hardship status Tempe Arizona is rather common.  If the statute of limitations is close to running out, being put on status 53 is an excellent settlement strategy.  The statute of limitation runs for 10 years from the time the taxes were assessed.  We have had many clients that have stayed on currently not collectible status for the full ten years.  To stay on this status one must file and full pay their current taxes every year.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc

www.scottallenea.com

 

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