How to avoid A Federal Tax Lien
With the economy continuing to struggle and layoffs and unemployment at an all-time high, more and more people are having trouble paying their bills. While an unpaid bill is bad news no matter which way you look at it, an unpaid federal tax lien can absolutely destroy your good name and your acclaim, as well. A lien is given by the government when you can’t pay your tax bill. Here are a few things you can do to assist prevent a lien from ever being put in rest to begin with.
Be Nice
As silly as it sounds, being nice is a huge part of avoiding a lien. As soon as you begin to receive mailings from the IRS, reply to them and talk to an agent about your position. If you disregard of] these mailings, you won’t be shown any mercy by the IRS when it comes to putting a federal tax lien on your pay. By treating the officers you speak to with value and understanding, you can wait for to get the same treatment from them, and that can mean all the divergence in the world.
File Back Taxes Immediately
One issue that often comes up during an audit has to do with gone astray back taxes. There could be years in your past where you didn’t file because you didn’t make very much money or because you simply forgot. As a illustrate of good faith, make an effort to file back taxes as soon as probable if you are asked to by the IRS. Again, this simply shows that you are taking their requests seriously and you are doing everything you can short of paying off your balance. You’ll be shocked at how effective this can be.
Be direct
This is the hardest part for some people. You’ve likely already been audited, and you chose to either be sincere and up front about your tax return and your finances, or you dug yourself a bigger hole by continuing to lie. No matter which path you chose, if you want to evade a federal tax lien, you need to start telling the certainty. Not only will you be able to get out from under the huge pile of mistruths you’ve been telling, but you will be able to get the help you need and get back on the road to recovery.
Pay as Much as You can As a Good Faith Move
Even if you can only spare $10 a month, volunteer it. If you show that you can pay something, anything, per month to aid lower your tax yoke, the government and the IRS agent you are working with will appreciate it. Again, if you are being honest, they will see your total fiscal picture in front of them and know that you can only manage to pay so much per month. It is only when you reject to pay anything at all do they tend to get nasty. If you want to get out from below an uncomfortable tax situation, there are things you can do, but you should be proactive.
Darrin T. Mish is a veteran, nationally recognized tax attorney who has focused on providing IRS help to taxpayers for over a decade. He regularly travels the country training other attorneys, CPAs and enrolled agents on how to handle their toughest cases with the IRS. He is highly ranked among the top attorneys in the country, with an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a perfect 10 on Avvo.com. Martindale-Hubbell has also honored him with a listing in their Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. He is a member of the American Society of IRS Problem Solvers and the Tax Freedom Institute. With clients on every continent but Antarctica, he has what it takes to solve your IRS problems no matter where you live in the world. If you would like more information about his practice and how he can help you, please call his office at (813) 229-7100 or toll free at 1-888-GET-MISH.
Filed under Uncategorized by on Jan 6th, 2010.
