Common Sense Advice Regarding Offer In Compromise Scams

By now, everybody with a tax bill has heard the “pennies on the dollar” promises on radio and TV. Before handing over thousands of dollars to some Slick Rick salesman over the phone, here are some things you need to know about the Offer in Compromise program.

First and foremost: You probably don’t qualify. What’s that? How can I say that without even knowing you or your situation? Because the IRS statistics show that most people that apply don’t qualify, that’s why. In 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, the IRS outright rejected 59% of all Offer in Compromise applications that were submitted.

Secondly, the Attorneys General of several states, the Federal Trade Commission, and multiple class action lawsuits have been won over the common sales practice of promising tax relief, and not being able to deliver. More often than not, clients in those situations are sold an Offer in Compromise program for many thousands of dollars, and are then converted to an Installment Agreement (monthly payment plan to the IRS) with no refund of the price difference. This has been going on for years, and and many tax debt resolution companies have been sued for this and other egregious sales practices that are designed to do nothing but part you from your money.

There are probably tens of thousands of other OIC settlements sold by these companies every year that are never actually filed, so they don’t even go into that number that the IRS tracks.

If somebody is trying to tell you that you qualify for an Offer in Compromise without doing a thorough analysis of your financial situation, RUN! They will often say that you can settle your debt for some fraction of what you owe. That fraction is a totally made up number! The formula the IRS uses to determine your required Offer in Compromise amount has absolutely nothing to do with how much you owe — it’s entirely based on what you own and what you earn.

To determine whether you even qualify for an Offer in Compromise, you need to examine the value of your assets, including your retirement accounts, cash, equity in your home, your vehicles, the value of business equipment, etc. If all that stuff is worth more than what you owe the IRS, then you are most likely ineligible for an Offer in Compromise.

Also, take a look at … Continue reading

Can’t pay your 2019 tax bill by July 15, 2020?

If you have a tax bill for 2019 that you can’t quite pay, you do have options.

Even if you can’t pay in full, I’d highly encourage you to file your return on time, which has been extended from April 15 to July 15 this year due to the pandemic and resulting recession. This way, you avoid the late filing penalties that can be added on to your tax liability, which can add up to 25% of your balance due. Also, try to pay as much as you possibly can with your return. If you are going to be filing an extension, pay as much as you can with your extension.

The IRS is currently charging a 5% annual interest rate, compounded daily, on all tax debts. On top of that, you will be subject to a failure to pay penalty, which will further increase your tax debt.

It may be worthwhile to consider using credits cards or a loan to pay your tax bill. When you consider the extensive penalties the IRS charges, your credit card interest rate may actually be quite a bit lower.

If you absolutely cannot pay your tax bill this year, then use either the online payment agreement request system at irs.gov, or complete Form 9465 to request a payment plan. You are not required to wait until the IRS bills you before requesting a payment plan.

The most important thing to remember is that, in order to avoid the wrath of IRS Collections, it’s in your best interest to be proactive about managing your tax debt. Don’t wait for the IRS to come to you: Take the high road, and address it head on.

If your tax debt is simply too large for you to pay in any reasonable amount of time, it’s worth considering your other options. One of our vetted and verified tax firms near you can provide complete guidance for resolving your back tax liabilities, particularly if your situation is more complex, such as multiple years worth of tax debt to address. Search our directory using the box at the top of this page.

Don’t give the IRS the upper hand. Stay on top of your tax situation and address the issue long before the government starts coming after you.… Continue reading

Challenging Property Tax Assessments

Your annual property tax bill is based on your county government’s valuation of your property. Assessed values are often very different from the actual fair market value of your home. If your county assessment is too high, resulting in a property tax bill that is more than it should be, you can contest the property valuation in an attempt to reduce your tax bill.

The fair market value of your property is represented by the price that a typical home buyer would be willing to pay for your house. Arriving at the fair market value of your home without actually selling the house is accomplished by comparing your home to other houses that have sold. A proper comparison requires that the other houses be as similar to your house as possible. The best comparable properties will have nearly the same square footage and number of bedrooms and bathrooms as your house. In addition, they will be in the same neighborhood and will have sold within the last few months. This process is very similar to how appraisers determine the vale of your home.

There are two types of assessed value that local governments use to determine your property tax bill: Market assessed value and tax assessed value. Market assessed value is the government’s estimate of the fair market value of your home. This valuation is often based on the last sale price of the property, adjusted occasionally for appreciation. Since many counties multiply all properties by the same appreciation rate, the assessment may not take into account unique features of your home, location, or the modern realities of your local real estate market. Some localities will further multiply your market assessed value by some other fraction in order to arrive at the tax assessed value, and then apply your local tax rates to this number.

When the assessed value on which your property tax bill is based is higher than the actual fair market value of your your home, you may end up paying too much property tax. Most counties offer informal hearings at which you can challenge the assessed value. To prove your case at this hearing, you should be armed with an appraisal, a Broker Price Opinion from a licensed real estate agent, or your own list of recent comparable sold properties. You may also have the option of appealing the assessment valuation to a review board. In rare cases, you may … Continue reading