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 the average IRS settlement Queen Creek Arizona?

IRS Settlement Queen Creek Arizona

There are several different ways to get an IRS Settlement Queen Creek Arizona ?  I am always uncomfortable quoting or giving averages when it comes to settling up with the IRS.  Here is why.  If you are talking about a settlement with an Offer in Compromise, over 98% of the clients who come in don’t qualify for this type of a settlement for various reasons.  So what good is an average when you are only talking about 2%.  We have had some offers for as low as ½ cent on the dollar up to 88 cents on the dollar.  If those were the only two offers, saying the average is 44 cents on the dollar is a ridiculous statement.  For one it would be 8,800% too high and the other 50% too low.  I suppose an average of 15% might be reasonable on all of the Offer in Compromises we have had accepted for clients.

If a client discharges their taxes under the Chapter 7 rules of bankruptcy then the settlement is zero.  It is always zero.  How do you give an average here other than to say our average settlement is zero if you choose to settle your IRS debt using a Chapter 7 bankruptcy?  There is no average, it is always the same.

The best thing to do is to come in and find out what your IRS settlement Queen Creek Arizona would be rather than rely on an average which will more than likely be much different than what you will ultimately receive.  Once I know how much you owe the IRS, how long you have owed the IRS, and have some financial information, I can tell you what you can expect under all the options that are available to settle with the IRS.  And that information will be much more valuable to you than an average from previous clients whose financial ability to pay on the amount owed that never matches your particular situation.

I like to tell clients that if you were a manager of a baseball team and you had two choices—send up a batter with a one in three chance of getting a hit or one you knew would get a hit, which would you choose?  Obvious, you would go with the one you knew was going to get a hit.  That is what you can expect from me.  I will tell you what settlement you will get from the IRS, once I know the facts.  Don’t ever take a chance on relying on averages when you can know the answer with just a little more time and effort.  Practitioners who quote averages will always use that inappropriately to get you to use them and then when it doesn’t happen, will always use it to say, “Well, I was only giving you an average, your settlement is much higher now that I know the facts.”  The best advice is to know the facts not the averages.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc offering IRS settlement Queen Creek Arizona

www.stopIRSaction.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

Can someone actually get out of IRS tax debt in Arizona?

IRS Tax Debt in Arizona

The answer is yes, but some ways are easier than others.  Let’s face a few facts.  Some clients spent several years getting into tax trouble and are unrealistic to think that  there is a magic pill or potion that will instantly make the problem go away without any pain or effort.

A short story may be helpful.  One day my father took me over to my grandmother’s house to pull some weeds.  I had previously asked him if I could go to the beach with some friends that day.  When I saw the half acre with weeds up to my waste, I was convinced that there was no way I was going to be able to pull those weeds and go to the beach.  My father drove away and left me there.  He was gone for about 30 minutes and had returned to see what I had accomplished.  I had not pulled any weeds—not one.

Now I was told in no uncertain terms that I need to start the project and he would come back in 30 minutes to see how I was doing.  I reluctantly started the process.  I pulled one weed and it came out pretty easily.  The next pull I was able to get two weeds with just one hand.  Eventually I was able to get about ten weeds in one hand, then I figured out how to get both hands working and was pulling out twenty weeds with two hands.  When my father came back in 30 minutes, I was half done.  I was shocked at how much I had accomplished.  My father had taught me a very valuable lesson that day.  “One weed at a time.”  The project was completed in less than an hour.  If you had asked me how long it would have taken me to do that job, I would have guessed three days.

It is the same with IRS tax debt in Arizona.  I ask my clients to do one task at a time and to keep moving forward and before they know it, their IRS problem will be done.  The vast majority of clients say, “If I knew it was going to be that easy, I would have started this process a long time ago.”  I remind them that it wasn’t an easy process.  It became easier once they started.  That is the hard part—getting started and staying committed to the task.  Goethe said it best when he stated, “Are you in earnest?  Seize this very minute—Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.  Only engage, and then the mind is strengthened.  Begin it, and then the work will be completed.” 

This is true with your IRS tax debt in Arizona.  Do you earnestly want to get it resolved?  If so then engage in the process, begin the task, and as soon as you begin it you are half completed.  The second half will be easier to complete once you realize you are half done already.  A tax problem and a half acre of weeds had a lot in common.  With a one hour free initial consultation I can tell you what it will take to get your IRS “weeds” out of your life.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc

www.stopIRSaction.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

GET IRS OFF MY BACK – How long after I get a notice from the IRS will they take action?

Can I get the IRS off my back?

It depends upon the type of letter you get.  Generally, most letters from the IRS give you 30 days to take some corrective action before the IRS will lower the boom.  Many letters mention 10 days.  This usually means you have 10 days to pay the amount due or additional interest or penalties will be added to the balance.  Clients read the words 10 days and stop there.  If they read further they would read that they have 30 days in most cases to take action.  But even though the IRS can take action in 30 days, it may be much longer before they actually do.  However, it is a poor bet to take any chances.  If you are uncertain as to what should be your next step, seek the advice of an IRS resolution specialist.  Call Scott Allen EA of Mesa Arizona at 480-926-9300.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc

www.getirsoffmyback.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

Can the IRS file a lien in Arizona when I am in Appeals?

IRS file a Lien in Arizona?

If the IRS files a tax lien in Arizona, you have the right to ask for a collection due process hearing before Appeals, to give your reasons why a tax lien should be filed. So to have a lien filed when you are in appeals really should not occur. If it does, it is usually a matter of timing. If you request to have your tax matter go to Appeals after the 30 day grace period to file an appeal, it is likely the IRS will filed a tax lien even though you decided to go to appeals after the 30 day grace period. It is only if you file a request to have your tax dispute reconsidered at appeals within the 30 grace period that a tax lien should not have been filed.

Nonetheless, if a tax lien has been filed and your case is in Appeals, when it comes time to plead your cause, if you are successful, it would also be prudent to ask them to release the tax lien in Arizona that was filed.

Scott Allen E. A

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc

www.irshelpblog.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

TAX DEBT ADVISORS INC – Does the IRS accept a divorce decree on who is responsible for the payment of taxes?

Tax Debt Advisors Inc Mesa

Here is a typical scenario. The husband is self-employed and never paid any taxes on jointly filed tax returns. The divorce decree says that the husband is responsible for paying all the back taxes. The IRS is coming after the wife. Will the divorce decree stop IRS action against the wife?

First, if you are an innocent spouse you might first seek relief under the innocent spouse relief rules. The IRS will consider factors like your knowledge of the unpaid taxes, spousal abuse claims and whether you received some benefit from the unpaid taxes.

Second, the divorce decree does not limit the IRS from taking action against you. When you signed a jointly filed tax return you accepted responsibility for the accuracy of the return and payment of the taxes owed.

Third, if your signature was forged or you signed the return under fraud or duress, the IRS will convert your joint liability to married filing separately. You will be responsible for paying taxes only on your income.

Fourth, you have several options available to settle with the IRS if you are held responsible for the taxes owed on the jointly filed return. These include: filing for discharge of taxes due with a bankruptcy, an offer in compromise, qualifying for non collectible status or the statute of limitations on collection.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors Inc Mesa

www.taxdebtadvisorsinc.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

taxdebtadvisors.com – IRS Myths…

Mesa AZ Help With IRS Myths

Many clients in Mesa AZ come in with strange ideas about what the IRS can and will do to them once they “catch up with them.”  Most of the information has come from  friends, family and work associates that are just passing on myths that they were told.

Two of the most common questions:

Am I going to be thrown in jail?  Over 99% of the clients we meet with are negligent not criminal.  Their tax problems are more like bad parking tickets not a hit and run.  As long as you are willing to file back tax returns and agree to a settlement on what you can pay on the back taxes and agree to pay your taxes in the future, the problem goes from a terrible crisis to something you can manage.  Close to 30% of our clients qualify to make no payment on their historical tax liability if they stay current on their filings and payments in the future.

Are they going to take my house or car?  The IRS wants money not assets.  If you are living in an expensive home, the IRS will allow you time to put the house up for sale and downsize into a reasonably priced home.  With the current housing crisis the IRS has extended the time from six months to a year and now they are agreeing to give even more time if the taxpayers are staying current on their taxes.

You cannot control what happens in life.  Most clients were faithful taxpayers until a death, divorce, illness, or a business failure put them in a situation where they could not pay their taxes.  Even the IRS understands that this happens.  The IRS is less tolerant with the failure to file tax returns.  The IRS primarily punishes because you don’t file, not because you don’t pay.  The penalty for failing to file is 5% per month, while the penalty for failing to pay is only ½% per month.  So it is initially ten times more expensive to not file than it is to not pay.

The reality is that most clients are surprised at the results we get.  Mostly because their imagination is mixed with a lot of Mesa AZ IRS myths that create a paranoid attitude towards what the government actually expects.  Why not come in and find out today what the your options are.  I have heard many clients say, “If I had know it was going to be this easy, I would have come in long ago.”

Scott Allen E. A.

www.taxdebtadvisors.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

WILL THE IRS THROW ME IN JAIL?

Chances are the IRS will not put you in Jail

The IRS has almost unlimited power but the times that it resorts to severe action are very rare and never without giving you many opportunities to correct the problem.  Try to remember that in almost every case you are negligent not criminal.  Your IRS matter is like a bad parking ticket, not a hit and run crime.

We have never had a client lose their house or vehicle.  The IRS doesn’t want your house or car.  In fact they are required to allow you to have adequate housing and transportation.  You may have to trade in you Ferrari for a Toyota but you can still have a good safe vehicle.  If you live in a home that was paid for with your unpaid taxes, you may have to downside but the IRS gives you adequate time to make the transition.  But in most cases the client has previously decided that they cannot afford the home they are living in.

Unless you are guilty of income tax evasion, which means that you did not report significant amounts of income on your filed tax returns, you do not need the services of an attorney.  On over 113,000 tax debts settled over 45 years, we have only referred five clients to seek legal help and none of them were ever incarcerated.

The IRS does publicly advertise a few cases a year that get your attention.  Fear of criminal action is one of the best ways the IRS motivates the public into compliance of filing and paying their taxes.

Fear of IRS action is one of the main reasons clients procrastinate taking positive action to put their tax debts in a settlement and moving on with their lives.  Once you know what needs to be done to fix your IRS problem, your fear factor will be greatly reduced.  So stop living in fear and start living with purpose.  Call me for no cost consultation to see what settlement options are available to you.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc.

 

Written by Scott Allen

STOP IRS ACTION

Stop IRS Action help in Mesa AZ

This phase can mean many things for different IRS problems.  If your wages are being levied, you want the IRS to stop taking your money from you wages.  If your bank account is being levied, you want that to stop or the money to be returned.  If you have a tax lien filed by the IRS you want your credit to be restored by having the lien removed.  If you have assets that under threat of being seized, you want to be able to sleep tonight knowing that the IRS has stopped seizure action.

The list could go on and on and a blog on this subject can only give you some general guidelines to follow.  If you want a specific course of action, schedule a free one hour consultation to find out exactly what needs to be done to Stop IRS Action.   This is more involved than it appears.  For instance if you own more than $25,000 to the IRS, there is much more work needed to get a monthly installment arrangement than if you owe less than $25,000.  And if you owe more than $100,000, the IRS will expect a few more hoops to jump through before giving you an agreement.

Here are some actions that will be necessary to Stop IRS action in Mesa AZ regardless of your problem:

First, make sure that all tax returns have been filed.  The IRS will require you to be in compliance before action can be stopped.  If the IRS filed a tax return for you, have a professional review it to see if filing a correct return would bring the balance owed down.  This first step is to first reduce the liability before trying to reach a settlement with the IRS.

Second, compliance also means that you are currently having the right amount taken out of your pay check if you are an employee or you are current on payment of your estimated taxes if you are self employed.

Third, make sure you have a representative who understands how to posture your finances before providing financial information to the IRS.  This may mean getting medical insurance or an automobile before negotiations begin.  Afterwards, the amount of money left over after your settlement might now allow for these type of purchases to be made once you are locked in with the IRS.

Fourth, know all of your options to settle with the IRS.  That means understanding the pros and cons of each option.  Make sure you evaluate all the options at the same time.  If you are married, whether your spouse is responsible for the tax debt or not, be a part of the decision process.  What ever affects you affects your spouse indirectly.  Especially if it pertains to money and finances.

Finally, get some professional help to stop IRS action in Mesa AZ.  The IRS personnel are not bad people.  But they are trained bill collectors and are not there to make you knowledgeable of your options that can make your settlement easier for you.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc. – Since 1977

www.stopIRSaction.com

 

Written by Scott Allen

IRS PROBLEMS “I CANT PAY MY BACK TAXES”

What if you have an IRS Problem in Mesa AZ

Owing the IRS money sometimes cannot be avoided but avoiding a crisis because you owe the IRS is always possible.  Just making the decision to face the IRS problem and take the first step is literally half the battle.  I have heard many times, “If I knew it was going to be this easy, I could have avoided a lot of stress and sleepless nights.”

Even the IRS knows that they may never collect all the back taxes you owe, and are willing to agree to a settlement that acknowledges that fact, conditioned upon your commitment and willingness to stay current on taxes in the future.  Keep in mind though that if you have the ability to pay your back taxes in full, the IRS will not let you off the “hook.”

The psychological challenge with paying back taxes is that we trick ourselves into thinking that we are paying for something without getting something in return.  In a very real sense that is true.  When you finish paying your car loan or mortgage you have a car or home to show for your efforts.  Paying taxes is the price we pay for living in a relatively benevolent democracy.  It is easy to take for granted the roads and military benefits we receive but still we have nothing tangible in our hands.  We all have disagreements politically with how our tax dollars are spent and that can sometimes be the mental block we all have to overcome—even those who are current and pay their fair share of taxes each year.

The simple fact remains that death and taxes are something we just can’t escape.  The financial, emotional, physical costs of having an IRS debt always hanging over our heads is simply just not worth it.  Carrying this burden around with us 24/7 is like having a 50 or a 100 pound weight always on our back.  The true benefits of having your tax matter behind you cannot be fully appreciated until it is gone.  Food will taste better, your ability to move forward financially is greatly improved, family relationships become more meaningful, your ability to enjoy activities that use to be fun returns, and best of all you can think more clearly.

Take a moment to consider the psychological benefits of getting your IRS problems behind you.  Make the decision today to call for a consultation to see exactly what you need to do to make this a reality in your life.

Scott Allen E. A.

Tax Debt Advisors, Inc.

www.arizonairsproblems.com

 

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