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.