No one in business relishes a tax lien. They stick to your credit rating like a slug on slime until you pay off your company’s back taxes. However a smart Atlanta tax attorney will strongly encourage you to take out almost any other kind of loan in order to pay your business taxes and avoid the hidden downside of a tax lien.

A perfect financial storm has coalesced, making a business tax lien even worse news than it was before. In today’s conservative economy, businesses are struggling to meet their tax obligations, the IRS is cracking down on collections and banks are tightening their lending criteria. Thus, businesses that in the past have depended on banks or credit unions for bridge loans are increasingly locked out of any kind of traditional financial institution if they have a back tax lien. Atlanta back tax lawyers are busier than ever.

According to the IRS’s in-house national taxpayer advocate, the number of business back tax liens has skyrocketed 500% over the last decade to 1.1 million a year. Atlanta tax attorneys agree that in addition to cutting off a formerly easy source of emergency funding, the proliferation of business back tax liens makes it harder for a business on the rocks to increase cash flow by bringing in new cash-rich partners.

So many companies were tanking under the new limitations that last winter, the IRS took the unusual step of loosening some lien-filing policies. Too little too late, decry many Atlanta tax lawyers. Making settlements more accessible and modifying liens will take a struggling business only so far. Once you’re in the IRS’s back tax sights, you’re in trouble.

If you are having trouble keeping up with your business taxes, call an Atlanta back tax attorney today to devise a plan for your unique situation.

Finally recognizing that you cannot squeeze blood from a stone, in early 2011 the Internal Revenue Service offered some tax help and announced sweeping reforms to help taxpayers who were facing particularly hard times and need tax relief. Atlanta tax attorneys and taxpayers are cheering the changes. Ask your tax attorney or CPA about the IRS Fresh Start Program.

According to IRS.gov, these changes include:

• “Significantly increasing the dollar threshold when liens are generally issued, resulting in fewer tax liens.” The IRS is raising the limit to keep up with inflation and offer tax help. They will revisit these new criteria after a year or so to measure their effectiveness.
• “Making it easier for taxpayers to obtain lien withdrawals after paying a tax bill.” They are streamlining the process so agents can respond more quickly to tax help requests. An Atlanta tax lawyer can help you get this done.
• “Withdrawing liens in most cases where a taxpayer enters into a Direct Debit Installment Agreement.” If you owe less than $25,000 and have honored your direct debit agreement for a probationary period, the IRS will now consider lifting any liens on your property upon your Atlanta tax attorney’s request for tax relief.
• “Creating easier access to Installment Agreements for more struggling small businesses.” The tax help cap is being raised from $10,000 to $25,000, allowing more small businesses and Atlanta tax lawyers to participate in streamlined installment agreements, if they can pay within 24 months.
• “Expanding a streamlined Offer in Compromise program to cover more taxpayers.” The qualifying debt load for tax relief is being doubled to $50,000 and now includes taxpayers with incomes up to $100,000. An Atlanta tax attorney can help you devise an OIC that the IRS will accept.

Make no mistake, you still have to pay. But the IRS is making it a little easier for some people and businesses to do so. An Atlanta tax lawyer can answer any questions you have.

Taxpayers in Georgia have learned the hard way that the State of Georgia, Department of Revenue has been aggressive in tax collection efforts in recent years. For people who owe state back taxes or can’t afford to pay their Georgia state income taxes, filing delinquent tax returns can be stressful.

Atlanta taxpayers should know the Georgia Department of Revenue is under new leadership this year. As a member of the tax section leadership team for the Georgia Society of CPAs, I had the chance to hear the new Tax Commissioner Mr. Douglas J. MacGinnite, Esq. speak at our recent annual meeting with the Georgia Department of Revenue. At this annual Executive Roundtable, Atlanta tax attorneys and CPAs who are members of the Society participate in a discussion with government leaders regarding taxpayer concerns – in the spirit of making our tax system work better for everyone.

With the incoming tax law leadership at the helm, I find myself optimistic that there will be opportunities for flexibility for taxpayers to settle their state tax debt, back taxes, and in negotiating tax audits successfully. As an Atlanta tax attorney, I look forward to more opportunity for me to help my clients resolve their tax problems.

Jeffrey S. Gartzman has 28 years of experience as an Atlanta CPA and tax attorney. As a long standing member of the Georgia Society of CPAs Tax Section Leadership Team, the Georgia State Bar Tax Section, and the Atlanta Bar Association, Mr. Gartzman holds positions of leadership where he advocates for taxpayer solutions in collaboration with state government. Contact Gartzman Tax Law to learn about your opportunities to reduce tax debt and pay IRS back taxes. Call the Gartzman Law Firm at (770) 939-7710 today.

Divorce can be difficult enough without the possibility of serious tax problems for one or both spouses. Here are some Atlanta tax resolution lessons to demonstrate how getting tax help can relieve financial damage from a divorce.


Lesson #1 – If you’re facing the hard truth that you might be getting divorced, tax planning can save you from IRS tax debt (and more marital strife).

There is a bright side to the realization you are facing a divorce: You have the opportunity to split and transfer assets in the most tax efficient manner – and to decide whether you’ll file jointly or separate as a couple.

Sometimes couples are separated for months or years before a divorce. In this situation, it is critical to examine whether you will file federal income taxes as joint or separate. If a couple files a joint return and then gets audited by the IRS, both spouses are on the hook for tax debt – regardless of who brought in more income, or who was more responsible with paying income taxes.

If you know your marriage might be on the rocks, seek your own Atlanta tax lawyer now and consider delaying your divorce until after you get tax help.


Lesson #2 – If you know your spouse has IRS tax problems, hire your own tax attorney during a divorce to protect your taxpayer rights and your bank account.

In the event one spouse has underpaid federal income taxes for the year, both spouses are at risk during an IRS audit if they filed joint on federal tax returns. It doesn’t matter if a state-issued divorce decree holds one spouse more responsible for Georgia state tax problems; in the eyes of the IRS they are both jointly responsible for federal tax debt.

Your spouse may be in hot water with the IRS, but you can hire your own Atlanta tax attorney to protect your rights. Ask your tax attorney or CPA if you qualify for IRS Innocent Spouse Relief or Allocation of Liability.

Work with an Atlanta tax attorney for expert legal counsel on managing IRS tax problems that go hand-in-hand with the legal complexities of a divorce.

If your pending or recent divorce has left behind problems with the IRS, back taxes, or IRS tax debt, Atlanta tax attorney and CPA Jeffrey S. Gartzman can help you with tax relief solutions. Don’t face divorce tax problems alone – get experienced financial and legal counsel on your side. Contact The Gartzman Law Firm today online or call (770) 939-7710.

If you owe IRS back taxes from unfiled income taxes, sooner or later the IRS will take action to collect. In many cases this means additional tax debt from penalties and interest – on top of IRS liens and levies that can bring your life or your business to a halt. When you work with an Atlanta tax attorney or CPA to get tax relief, your tax lawyer will intervene with the IRS and work to reasonably settle IRS back taxes for you.

“Times were tough, so I didn’t pay my taxes.”

It’s a story I hear frequently these days: Maybe you were making good money or staying in the black with self-employment income before the economy went downhill – along with your job or small business income. You tried to stay afloat by not filing federal income taxes, and now you owe back taxes.

During this recent Recession the IRS significantly increased their efforts to enforce tax collection. Avoiding paying federal income taxes during tough economic times will only result in a staggering IRS tax debt from back taxes.

I provided IRS tax relief services to a client who had accumulated tax debt during the rough economy. With tax help from the Gartzman Law Firm, my client was able to settle almost $250,000 in back taxes for about $20,000 by pursuing an Offer in Compromise with the IRS.

Here’s how your Atlanta tax attorney can help you pursue an Offer in Compromise:

1. Meet with a tax attorney and complete a financial worksheet to paint a complete scenario of your IRS tax problems and owed back taxes.

2. Give your tax attorney Power of Attorney so they can communicate with the IRS on your behalf about your tax debt and specific details in your tax record: unfiled returns, amount the IRS claims you owe, etcetera.

3. Your tax attorney will review your case and present viable financial and legal options to present an Offer in Compromise to the IRS.

4. Work with your tax attorney to complete the filing for an Offer in Compromise. As a tax attorney, I understand what the IRS will be taking into consideration regarding your financial status: income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and personal issues like age, employment, medical, and family status.

5. Submit the Offer in Compromise. On average, the process takes three to four months.

6. You will receive a letter from the IRS about the acceptance status of your Offer in Compromise, and what payment is owed.

During this process your Atlanta tax attorney will intervene on your behalf with the IRS – meaning you’ll talk with your lawyer, not get bounced around to different people at the IRS. Your tax attorney may meet with an IRS Revenue Officer, automated collection service (ACS) personnel, Offer in Compromise examiners, or sometimes an Appeals Officer to resolve your tax problems.

Back taxes and IRS tax problems preventing you from economic recovery? Settle your back taxes today with the experienced legal counsel and financial guidance of Jeffrey S. Gartzman, Atlanta tax attorney and CPA by calling (770) 939-7710, or contact us online.

When you owe the IRS back taxes or you’re facing tax debt, a common reaction is to avoid the IRS out of fear or confusion. People may think they can’t afford to pay their back taxes, so what difference does it make? If you don’t take action to get tax resolution, you can lose rights you may not realize you have and accumulate significant interest that makes the situation much worse.

You have the right to an appeal

Taxpayers who receive a notice from the IRS that they owe unpaid taxes may have the right to file for a Collection Appeal Procedure or a Request for a Collection Due Process hearing of the IRS findings. If you don’t act before the IRS does, they will make an assessment of your owed back taxes and start collection action right away. This puts you at risk for liens, levies on your wages of bank accounts, seizures of property, and shutting down your business. Your tax attorney can review your appeal rights, intervene on your behalf, and walk you through the appeal or hearing process.

File your own taxes – don’t let the IRS do it for you

Sitting on your unfiled tax returns is like inviting the IRS to file them for you. If the IRS files your return – called a Substitute for Return (SFR) – the results are almost guaranteed to be unfavorable for you. Fighting the SFR is time consuming and takes considerably more effort than getting IRS tax help from the start. Getting help from a tax attorney means they will intervene with the IRS and file a tax return based on your actual tax information.

Avoid back tax interest and penalties

Another advantage of getting tax help right away is that you can avoid accumulating significant interest and penalties on your tax debt. Hire a tax attorney to face your IRS problems and you could avoid the headache and increased debt that avoidance will likely cause.

A tax attorney will help you with solutions to IRS tax debt, like installment plans, payment options, Offers in Compromise, the proper legal procedures, and – most importantly – educating you about your legal rights as a taxpayer.

Jeffrey S. Gartzman is an Atlanta tax attorney and CPA who has been helping people in Atlanta resolve tax problems since 1982. He specializes in tax law and will expertly represent you during an IRS appeal procedure and in dealing with IRS problems. To get the tax help you need, contact The Gartzman Law Firm today at (770) 939-7710.

In the 28 years that I’ve been helping individuals and businesses who are facing IRS tax problems and tax debt, I’ve learned there is a simple and direct approach to getting the tax help you need.

Whether a taxpayer is facing an IRS audit or paying back taxes, you can do these three things to get tax help:

#1: Hire a professional as soon as possible
The longer you wait, the deeper the hole. Get tax relief help from a tax attorney, CPA, or other tax professional. There are significant benefits to working with a tax attorney and CPA, such as the knowledge base and IRS connections to get you through the entire tax relief process from start to finish.

#2: Get organized
If the IRS is after you, getting your tax data and information in one place is necessary, not optional. A tax professional or tax attorney can walk you through this process and tell you what files, receipts, and other data are required.

#3: Bring your official notice
Be sure to retain any and all or notices sent to  you by the IRS or state tax revenue department. Bring these notices to your tax attorney or CPA so they understand what you’re facing.

No matter what tax debt situation you face, or how critical a taxpayer perceives their situation to be, the best way to find the tax help you need is to hire expert guidance.

Move forward and don’t sit in your tracks! Tax problems don’t go away on their own, and not all tax professionals are the same. Bring your tax debt case to someone who helps with IRS tax relief on a daily basis and understands all routes and procedures.

Jeffrey S. Gartzman is an Atlanta tax attorney and CPA who has been helping people find tax relief for over 28 years. He will help you resolve IRS and state tax problems, find tax relief and settle tax debt. Mr. Gartzman is an accredited Personal Financial Specialist with the American Institute of CPAs. To get the tax help you need, contact The Gartzman Law Firm, P.C., today at (770) 939-7710.