Is There a Solution to Your IRS Tax Problem?

The second option is to pay the tax back by negotiating an Installment Agreement. You may not be able to full pay the tax, but many times the IRS will agree to an installment agreement to pay the debt back over time.

The third option is what the IRS calls Currently Not Collectable. If what you are making is just enough to pay your living expenses and your current taxes, using the IRS living standards, the IRS will set you up as currently not collectable. Once they set you up as currently not collectable, they will stop collection actions for as long as your finances stay the same. This will not stop the penalties or interest, as they continue to run.

The fourth option is called Offer in Compromise. This is where the IRS will accept an amount that is less than you owe. This is not where you call or visit the IRS and tell them how much you are willing to pay, as many people believe. The offer in compromise program requires you to put together a large amount of financial information for presentation to the IRS. The IRS reviews this financial information and does a detailed investigation on you to determine how much they are willing to take, if they are willing to settle at all.

The fifth option is to file Bankruptcy. In some cases income tax can be discharged in Bankruptcy. You will need an attorney knowledgeable in how federal income taxes work in Bankruptcy.

The sixth option is expiration of the collection statute. Many people believe that the IRS can collect from you forever. Actually the IRS has only 10 years from the date the tax was assessed to collect the tax. If the tax is not collected within the 10-year period, it is lost forever.