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.

With the new federal tax-cut bill on the horizon, you might be wondering how changes in US tax policy affect you this upcoming federal tax filing season. Learn more about the facts of the bill, or ask your tax attorney for an industry insider’s scoop.

Here are the tax figures built into the bill for the next two years:

• Federal income tax rates will remain the same – at a maximum of 35% for the highest income brackets
• Dividends and capital gains tax will remain the same – at a maximum rate of 15%
• Exemptions will increase for the Alternative Minimum Tax when filing federal income taxes
• Social security tax withheld from employees’ paychecks will decrease from 6.2% to 4.2%
• Estate tax exclusion will increase from $3.5 Million to $5 Million per person – meaning, if you pass away and leave an estate valued up to $5 Million, your estate would not be taxed on it.
• Maximum estate tax rates will decrease from 45% to 35%
• Certain items that expired in 2009 and 2010 will be extended

Though the potential changes in tax law for 2011 may not have an immediate impact on your tax debt problems or filing tax returns for 2010, they could affect your tax planning decisions.

Income tax and estate tax planning with a licensed Atlanta CPA and tax attorney will help you understand changes in tax law in this year and any. It’s important for taxpayers to meet with their tax experts when making decisions about wills and trusts, tax planning, and changes to your estate.

Jeffrey S. Gartzman is an Atlanta tax attorney and CPA who has been helping people in Atlanta with tax planning and estate planning since 1982. To get the tax help you need, contact The Gartzman Law Firm today at (770) 939-7710.