IRS Revenue Officers are tasked with collecting back taxes for high-priority accounts. If your case is assigned to a Revenue Officer, that’s a sign that the IRS is serious about collecting and/or closing out your case.
Why Do Revenue Officers Get Assigned Cases?
Smaller cases usually get assigned to the IRS Automated Collection System (ACS). ACS involves a call center of IRS employees and a series of computer-generated notices that are sent in the mail. Your case isn’t assigned to any specific employee at this point.
Revenue Officers get assigned to cases that are large (often $100,000 or more), cases where the taxpayer has asked to be assigned a Revenue Officer, or cases where ACS has exhausted its power without coming to a resolution.
Handling the Revenue Officer
Revenue Officers generally have more training than ACS employees. This means that they’ll be more likely to understand your tax situation and tax resolution options. They will also have a better opportunity to research your case and communicate with you.
However, this can also be a drawback. The Revenue Officer will be in a more powerful position than the taxpayer during negotiations. This is one reason you should contact a tax resolution attorney if your case has been assigned to an IRS Revenue Officer.
The Revenue Officer may try to contact you in-person. You may have to talk to them on the phone several times to resolve your case. If you work with a tax attorney, you can avoid these calls and meetings and have your attorney handle them for you.
Resolving Your Case
Revenue Officers are under pressure to resolve as many cases as they can as quickly as they can. However, you shouldn’t agree to a deal just to get rid of the Revenue Officer. You should make sure you are getting the best possible deal and that it fits your budget, so you’ll actually be able to fulfill your end of the bargain.
If the Revenue Officer isn’t being reasonable, you can request an IRS Appeals conference in many different situations. You may have Collection Due Process (CDP) rights if the IRS issues a levy or lien, and you can also use the Collection Appeals Procedure (CAP) to appeal a wide variety of decisions.
Contact a tax attorney for assistance dealing with an IRS Revenue Officer and resolving your tax debt problems.
The Gartzman Law Firm can help you with back taxes and other IRS tax problems. Use our contact form to request a consultation with an Atlanta tax resolution attorney.