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.