Tax Matters - The Top Tax Defenders Blog

Preparing to Prepare – Get Ready to File Your Taxes

Get ready for Tuesday, April 17, this year’s deadline for filing federal taxes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The preparation required to put together your return can be a headache and a chore. You’ll spend time getting receipts in order and collecting tax paperwork received in the mail. Making sure you have everything needed to sit down and prepare your taxes or hand them to a professional is often just as much work as preparing the tax return. Here are some tips for getting ready to file your taxes.

Tax season can be a difficult time for individuals and businesses. Whether this is your first year filing complex taxes or you’ve let years of tax debts add up, help is available. There are a few different options when it comes to entrusting a professional with your tax case. Two of the most popular options are certified public accountants (CPAs) and tax attorneys. Knowing which is right for you comes down to your unique needs and goals, as well as the status of your case with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tax debt is no small matter. Protect yourself with the correct tax professional for your situation.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will assign revenue officers (ROs) to check on tax cases that deviate from the norm. It is a revenue officer’s job to assess a case and collect back taxes from businesses and individuals with cases that are out of the ordinary, such as those who owe more than $100,000. An RO is the person most likely to garnish your wages or levy your bank accounts. If the IRS assigns a revenue officer to your case, it means your tax situation is serious. Here’s what to know about when IRS revenue officer involvement might occur and how to fight back.

How and When the IRS Communicates with Taxpayers

Getting a letter or a phone call from the IRS could put you in a state of panic. You might wonder what is wrong with your taxes and if you are about to go to jail. You can make any communication with the IRS easier and less stressful by knowing how and when this government bureau will contact you about your tax returns.

Thanks to public awareness campaigns, many people today are careful with their personal identity information. They are cautious about to whom and when they give out sensitive details like their addresses, dates of birth, and full legal names. 

Millions of people each year struggle to pay what they owe to the IRS. Estimates say that at least one person out of six in the U.S. either owe the IRS money or are facing other tax crises like failing to file tax returns. When you count yourself as one of these statistics, you can deal with your IRS tax issues and enjoy the numerous benefits that come with hiring a tax professional to help you.

When you borrow money from the federal government to go to school, you are expected to pay back that loan with interest after you graduate. You cannot ignore your obligation to repay your student loans. 

Each tax season brings changes about which you may have questions and concerns. You wonder if these new rules will cause you to owe more money or get a bigger refund. 

Like individual taxpayers, business owners must also file and pay taxes to the IRS. Along with paying taxes on the money that their companies make each year, they also must withhold numerous forms of taxes from their employees' paychecks. 

While the IRS expects you to pay what you owe the federal government each year, it understands you may not have the means to do so. Rather than default on your tax obligation, you could settle your account reasonably by making an Offer in Compromise. You can ensure that the IRS accepts your proposal by avoiding these six common OIC mistakes.