Do You Owe Money to the IRS?
July 6, 2022
Possible Tax Resolution Strategies to Set Your Mind at Ease
Even for honest taxpayers, the IRS can be extremely frightening. Unlike most other government agencies, the IRS has unbridled power to attach your wages, freeze your bank account and even confiscate your property, and that is enough to send a chill up the spine of any taxpayer.
If you receive a letter from the IRS saying that you owe additional taxes, it is important not to panic. It may be a frightening situation, but there are things you can do to settle your tax debt and get back on the good side of the IRS.
Taxpayers do have options when resolving tax disputes and paying additional taxes due, and simply knowing what those options are can set your mind at ease.
As an expert Tax Resolution Firm, we encourage all readers facing a tax problem, whether it's the feds or the state, to contact us for a free consultation.
Here are three strategies you can use to resolve your tax debt and get on with the rest of your life. Not all of these options will be right for everyone, but it is important to be an informed taxpayer.
1. Review the Amount Owed And Your Tax Return In Question
If the IRS says you owe money, you should not simply assume they are right. The tax agency does make mistakes (a lot), as do tax preparers and ordinary taxpayers.
Whether you filed your taxes on your own or hired someone else to do it for you, it is important to examine your return and compare what you find with what the IRS is claiming. It pays to seek professional help for this tax review, even if you originally filed your own taxes. A professional with IRS experience may be able to uncover errors and inconsistencies you would have missed on your own, and that could end up saving you money.
There is no guarantee this review will eliminate the extra taxes the IRS says you owe, but it never hurts to be sure. There have been many cases in which taxpayers who thought they owed money to the IRS ended up owing nothing - or even being due a refund from the IRS.
2. Set Up a Payment Plan
Getting a notice of additional tax due from the IRS is frightening, especially if you cannot afford to pay what the agency says you owe. Keep in mind, however, that you do not necessarily have to pay the bill all at once.
The IRS is often willing to set up payment plans with taxpayers, and those payment plans could make paying what you owe easier and less stressful. Once again, it is a good idea to seek professional help and guidance here - the IRS can drive a hard bargain, and you do not want to end up with a payment plan you cannot afford and wind up defaulting on it.
If you fall behind on the payment plan you agreed to, you could be subject to additional enforcement action, including the tax agency garnering your paycheck or seizing funds from your bank accounts. Getting the help of a tax resolution professional up front can help you avoid these serious consequences.
3. Explore an Offer in Compromise Settlement
If you are truly unable to pay the money the IRS claims you owe, you may be able to work out a (much) smaller lump sum payment. The IRS may not advertise this program, but they are often willing to work with taxpayers by accepting lesser amounts, especially if those taxpayers have little in the way of equity in assets and a limited income. Sometimes these settlements can be for a fraction of what’s owed, if you qualify. We offer a free, no obligation consultation
to find out if you qualify.
If you plan to explore this last option, it is critical that you work with a tax resolution expert. An offer in compromise can be extremely complicated, with legalese and language that can be difficult to understand. You do not want to make a misstep here, and you want to ensure that you are only paying the lowest amount, allowed by law, in settlement of your tax bill.
Few things are as frightening as getting a letter from the IRS. That official-looking letterhead is bad enough, but what the letter says is even worse. If you receive such a letter, you need to take positive steps right away. Ignoring the situation will make it worse and it won’t go away, and the sooner you start exploring your tax resolution options the better off you will be.
If you want the help of an expert tax resolution professional who knows how to navigate the IRS maze, reach out to our firm
and we’ll schedule a no-obligation confidential consultation to explain all your options to permanently resolve your tax problem.
It seems like natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wild fires, and tornados are happening all the time and just about everywhere. Climate change also seems to be making these disasters more deadly and more destructive. Many people do step up to help survivors with needed financial donations. The only thing worse than the disasters themselves are the scammers that exploit these situations for financial gain at the expense of hard working and well-i ntentioned survivors and donors. Like yourself! Scams can take the form of fake charities and impostors posing as legitimate organizations or government agencies. Common scams typically entail vague appeals for donations without details, fake websites with names like real charities and caller ID tricks to appear legitimate. Several warnings signs of these scammers are: 1) pressure to give immediately, often preying on your emotions and not logic 2) a thank-you for a previous donation you don’t recall making 3) a request for payment by cash, gift card or wire transfer. The last are scammers’ favored payment methods because the money is easy to access, difficult to trace and almost impossible to cancel. A legitimate charity will welcome your donation whenever you choose to make it and by whatever means you choose. A great way to verify their legitimacy is to use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool at https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/. Additionally, clients should always ask for a receipt and then check their bank or credit card statements to ensure the donation amount is accurate. If you think you were a victim of a suspected scam, you can and should report them to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/. How Advantage Tax Relief Can Assist You At Advantage Tax Relief, based in Itasca, IL, we have over a decade of experience helping individuals and businesses resolve tax issues. Our team specializes in offering personalized tax relief and tax resolution solutions tailored to your unique needs. We will work with you to assess your situation and explore your options, whether it’s an Offer in Compromise, installment agreements, or other strategies. Our experience allows us to identify the best path forward to ease your tax burden and guide you toward financial freedom. If you're facing tax debt, don't wait. Advantage Tax Relief is here to assist you with effective, professional help. Call Advantage Tax Relief today at 630-773-3200 to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward resolving your tax issues.
Under the new One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3), qualified tips are any cash tip received by an individual with a valid Social Security number and in an occupation that 'customarily and regularly' received tips on or before Dec. 31, 2024. They include tips that are paid in cash or charged. The Treasury Department has not yet released the “official” list of occupations that qualify for the No Tax on Tips Regulations. It is expected, though, that the job titles will include but not be limited to those listed below: 1) Food & Beverage : Bartenders, Wait Staff, Servers, Chefs, and Cooks 2) Entertainment: Gambling Dealers, Change Persons, Booth Cashiers, Dancers, Musicians, Singers, Entertainers, and Other Performers 3) Personal Services: Personal Care Workers, Private Event Planners, Photographers, Videographers, Event Officiants, Pet Caretakers, Tutors, Nannies, and Babysitters. 4) Personal Appearance & Wellness: Skincare Specialists, Massage T herapists, Barbers, Hairdressers, Cosmetologists, Manicurists, Exercise Trainers, and Group Fitness Instructors. 5) Recreation : Golf Caddies, and Tour & Travel Guides. 6) Transportation : Ride Share, Taxi, and Food Delivery, Drivers, Porters, and Sky Caps. The final list is expected to be issued in October, 2025. Some implications of the No Tax on Tips Regulations. First , the deduction is for qualified tips of up to $25,000 per year regardless of how many employers you have during the year. The tax savings will be in the form of a tax deduction when you file your Federal tax return the following year. Second , qualified tips must be reported to the individual on one of three forms to be eligible for the deduction; a) Form W-2; b) Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation; or c) Form 1099-K, Payment Card and Third-Party Network Transactions. Third , it only applies to Federal income taxes. It does not include State, Local, Social Security or Medicare taxes. Finally, the maximum annual deduction of $25,000 for single filers and $25,000 each for joint or married filing separately filers phases out by $100 for each $1,000 for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 (or $300,000 for joint filers). How Advantage Tax Relief Can Assist You At Advantage Tax Relief, based in Itasca, IL, we have over a decade of experience helping individuals and businesses resolve tax issues. Our team specializes in offering personalized tax relief and tax resolution solutions tailored to your unique needs. We will work with you to assess your situation and explore your options, whether it’s an Offer in Compromise, installment agreements, or other strategies. Our experience allows us to identify the best path forward to ease your tax burden and guide you toward financial freedom. If you're facing tax debt, don't wait. Advantage Tax Relief is here to assist you with effective, professional help. Call Advantage Tax Relief today at 630-773-3200 to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward resolving your tax issues.
First, working overtime does not mean you are getting an automatic increase in your take-home pay because it is not going to be taxed. That is not what is going to happen. The tax savings will be in the form of a tax deduction when you file your Federal tax return the following year. There will be no immediate impact. Second, it only applies for Federal income taxes. It does not include State, Social Security or Medicare taxes. Third, it also only applies to the overtime premium and within certain deduction and wage limits. You can only deduct the pay that exceeds your regular rate of pay. The 'half' portion of 'time-and-a-half' compensation. For example, say you make $20 per hour and work 5 hours of overtime that week at time-and-a-half. The deduction would the Federal tax on $50 of premium pay. ($20 divided by 2 times 5 hours) Finally, the maximum annual deduction is $12,500 for single filers and $25,000 for joint filers. The deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 (or $300,000 for joint filers).
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