Where did your tax debt come from?

For the vast of taxpayers, both individuals and businesses alike, their very first tax bill stems from a series of events.

For individuals, it can be that you simply don’t pay attention to your tax situation throughout the year (hint: you should!). You think of your taxes as a once a year affair, rather than taking a proactive approach to regular tax planning. Perhaps you got a bonus, a raise, or a gambling win at some point in the year that boosted your overall income for the year into a higher tax bracket, and didn’t adjust your withholding at that time to compensate. Or perhaps you had a large debt forgiven or took money out of an IRA early, and didn’t plan for the tax consequences. Failing to take into consideration a significant life change, such as no longer being a homeowner or losing an exemption and tax credits because of a child growing too old to claim, can also have a major impact on your tax situation.

For businesses, it can start with a rough month, and simply not having the cash laying around on the 15th to make the payroll tax deposit for last month’s payroll. Essentially, it becomes a matter of convenience to skip that Federal Tax Deposit one time. Well, in my experience, that one time becomes an expedience for the entire quarter, then two quarters, with no warning or anything from the IRS. Then, suddenly 8 straight quarters have gone by and you get a tax lien notice and a call from IRS Collections, not to mention you are suddenly informed of the massive penalties, which can double the size of your initial tax debt.

Whenever you have a “life event”, be sure to take into consideration the potential tax consequences. What is a life event? Anything to do with large asset acquisition or disposal (such as a home), anything to do with children, marriage, divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, job change, moving, or anything that drastically changes your bank account balance. If you are self-employed, there are even more definitions for a “life event”.

For business owners, don’t fall into the “it’s easier not to pay this month” trap, especially with payroll taxes. The long term consequences simply aren’t worth it. In fact, it’s cheaper to raid your personal retirement plan and pay the 10% early withdrawal penalty than it is to pay the penalties that add up for not … Continue reading

How the IRS views your cost of living

In general, the IRS appears to take a cynical view at people’s cost of living, and can be fairly judgmental about how we spend our money. This cynicism obviously increases dramatically the moment you have an outstanding tax debt.

Before delving into specifics, I’d like to make two points regarding the IRS personnel you’d normally be discussing your personal finances with. First, IRS field personnel such as Revenue Officers and Settlement (Appeals) Officers typically have higher salaries than the IRS National Standards for the areas in which they are assigned. In other words, even as public servants, they make more money than their own standards set for a middle class lifestyle.

Second, keep in mind that these people are public servants. In fact, most senior IRS personnel are lifetime bureaucrats, meaning that they have never had to work in the private sector. Some senior Revenue Officers, Revenue Agents (Auditors), and Settlement Officers have actually never worked a day in their lives outside of the government, and don’t even have finance or accounting backgrounds.

Combining these two things, you can see that it’s very possible that the IRS person you are explaining your finances to has an interesting view on the world: They’ve always made an above average salary, and lack any personal experience running a business or dealing with the reality of private sector employment. This skewed perspective becomes readily apparent in talking to senior IRS personnel if you’re a middle class taxpayer or “mom and pop” small business owner.

Now, with that said, let’s talk about the IRS National Standards. The government uses national and local cost of living data to establish norms for the cost of living across various categories. Some cost of living standards are the same for everybody, while others, such as housing and transportation, are adjusted by region.

These standards are based entirely on the government’s definition of a middle class existence. In other words, for purposes of determining how much of your income the IRS expects you to fork over in monthly payments on a tax debt, they only allow you to claim a middle class lifestyle.

It is not uncommon for me to have a conversation with a client where I’m explaining this, and they get frustrated. When you’re in IRS collections, they don’t like seeing that you’re making $1500 per month car payments on a Hummer and a Corvette, or have two people living in a 4200 … Continue reading

Attention Truckers: Don’t forget to file Form 2290 this week

If you are a tractor-trailer operator or run other heavy highway equipment, you are probably already familiar with IRS Form 2290 and the payment of heavy vehicle highway use taxes. In general, this return is due on August 31st, along with payment for your vehicles that are taxed as heavy vehicls.

The deadline generally applies to Form 2290 and the accompanying tax payment for the tax year that begins on July 1, 2012, and ends on June 30, 2013. Returns must be filed and tax payments made by Aug. 31 for vehicles used on the road during July. If you put a new vehicle into service after July 2012, you will need to file another return and pay the tax on that vehicle by the end of next month after placing the vehicle in service. So, if you put a new rig into service in November, the return and the tax are both due on December 31.

The highway use tax applies to highway motor vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more, which generally includes trucks, truck tractors, and buses. Ordinarily, vans, pick-ups, and panel trucks are not taxable because they fall below the 55,000-pound threshold. The tax of up to $550 per vehicle is based on weight, and a variety of special rules apply, which are explained in the instructions to Form 2290.

If you have not yet filed and paid these particular taxes, they are eligible for electronic filing and electronic payment through EFTPS. If you need help with the return, or getting the payment made, feel free to contact one of the tax firms listed in our directory.… Continue reading