If you receive a CP504 notice, you should take immediate action to address the unpaid taxes with the IRS and avoid the levy of your assets. What is a CP504 Notice? A CP504 notice is a notice issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicating that a levy has been placed on a taxpayer’s property …
If you owe taxes to the IRS, you tend to receive a lot of unsolicited advice from friends, complete strangers, cold callers, mailings, and the internet. Sometimes that advice is to file an Offer in Compromise, and to settle your tax debt for “Pennies on the dollar.” But how can you know if an Offer …
Fortress Tax Relief has caring and knowledgeable professionals on staff who would be happy to review your tax scenario over the phone, answer any questions you might have, assess your risk of enforced collections, and recommend a solution tailored specifically to you or your business. There is no charge for a telephone consultation, so pick …
7 Effective Methods of Avoiding IRS Levies and Garnishments Read More »
You may have heard about the screaming deals that some taxpayers have been able to take advantage of to resolve their tax liabilities with the IRS during the COVID era. Like just about everyone, COVID knocked the IRS on its heels. This along with loosened collection procedures has created an environment where indebted taxpayers have …
2022 IRS COVID Tax Relief Programs: Is it Too Late? Read More »
If you are getting divorced or you are recently divorced, and you owe back taxes, there are some little-known tax hazards that, for the unaware, can lead to devastating effects. The question of “who pays the back taxes?” isn’t nearly as simple as you might think. If you think that you’re in the clear because …
Who Pays Back Taxes After a Divorce? (Do NOT Rely on Divorce Decree) Read More »
Since March of 2020, the IRS and state tax collectors have shown an unprecedented level of leniency to tax debtors in response to the pandemic. However, the sleeping giant has awoken. If you or your business have unresolved tax liabilities, the time to act is now—before you fall victim to the aggressive enforcement that has …
COVID-19 Tax Reprieve is Over: Aggressive Collections Return Read More »
There is no shortage of general information available about tax debts and how to go about resolving them. But what if you have a business tax debt? Does a business tax debt present challenges that surpass that of an individual tax debt? The short answer is a resounding “yes.” Business tax debts are often far …
Avoiding The Unique Dangers Of A Business Tax Liability Read More »
Over my many years representing taxpayers who are in collections, I have negotiated hundreds of IRS and State Installment Agreements. During this time, I have developed a list of important information I need from my clients in order to negotiate the best possible monthly payments for my clients’ unique conditions. Here, I will share my …
State Tax & IRS Installment Agreements: 5 Keys to Negotiate Read More »
Since the IRS is, far and away, the largest tax collecting agency in the U.S., it makes sense that people dread falling behind with federal taxes. But, what if you owe a state taxing authority? There is a common, and oftentimes mistaken, belief that a state tax liabilty is less serious and easier to fix …
If you have accrued a tax liability and think that an IRS collection representative will cheerfully explain how to best go about resolving your tax debt, think again. The IRS does a terrible job of advising taxpayers about their options for resolving unpaid taxes. The IRS Collections Department’s function is to collect as much of …
The Keys to “Easy” IRS Installment Agreement Negotiations Read More »
As a tax attorney who deals exclusively with resolving tax debts, I see a disproportionately large number of home healthcare providers as clients. Through the many home healthcare clients I have helped, I have learned that there are several aspects of the business model that put home healthcare businesses in grave danger of accruing a …
Home Healthcare Companies and Tax Liabilities: A Particularly Toxic Combination Read More »
If you owe taxes, but just can’t make a payment, don’t despair, there may be a solution for you in Currently Not Collectible status. Your chances will only increase if you hire a qualified tax resolution professional (not your local accountant, they usually lack experience and expertise in working tax collection cases) to guide you …
I recently received a phone call from a former client with a big problem. We had negotiated an Offer in Compromise for this client in 2012, saving her business a few hundred thousand dollars. One of the conditions when the IRS accepts an Offer in Compromise is that the taxpayer must not accrue any new …
Why You Can’t “Set It and Forget It” With A Payroll Service Read More »
As soon as the IRS files a Federal Tax Lien against a delinquent taxpayer, it becomes public record that the person or business has a balance due to the IRS. The lien is filed very soon after a liability is assessed. The fact that the lien is public record means that anybody who cares to …
I am Told I Qualify for an Offer in Compromise—Is it a Scam? Read More »
IRS Tax Professional for a Taxpayer in Collections There are three types of professionals who are legally authorized to represent a taxpayer in collections: C.P.A.s, enrolled agents, and tax attorneys. The key is to find both the type of IRS tax professional and the right person within that type that will be best suited to …
How to Choose an IRS Tax Professional for Back Taxes Read More »
One of the most frustrating situations my clients confront is the IRS’s addition of large amounts of tax or Civil Penalties to tax periods that ended a long time ago. There can be several reasons for additions to tax or Civil Penalties, but the most common ones I encounter are reporting and reconciliation deficiencies across …
OK, so you’ve negotiated an IRS Installment Agreement for your IRS tax liability, and can finally breathe easy because you will not have to deal with your Revenue Officer anymore. Time to celebrate, right? Not so fast. IRS employees frequently tell me that the vast majority of Installment Agreements default before the balance is paid …
Any time a taxpayer incurs a balance due to the IRS, the IRS’s first response is almost invariably to demand that the debt be fully paid, immediately. However, in many situations, the taxpayer does not have the ability to fully and immediately pay the tax debt. This inability to quickly resolve the liability can lead …
