Dec 14, 2023 By Triston Martin
Back taxes are those that are owed but have not yet been paid and usually pertain to a prior tax year. And if you're concerned about paying your taxes, you're not alone.
You may qualify for tax relief by taking advantage of one of four common strategies outlined below; we also provide information on filing back taxes and the number of years they may be submitted.
The IRS will likely approve a payment plan if you need additional time to pay your tax bill. If you owe taxes and still need to pay them, you can set up a payment plan to pay them off over time.
An "offer in compromise" may help you settle your tax debt. You can use this to negotiate a reduced amount to pay off your back taxes with the IRS. If you're in dire straits financially and can't pay your tax bill, or if doing so would cause undue hardship, you may qualify for an installment agreement with the Internal Revenue Service
However, getting the IRS to approve an offer in compromise is significantly more difficult than getting approval for a payment plan. The IRS grants fifty percent or less of requests. Before making a compromise offer, you should consider your alternative options.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows taxpayers to request "currently-not-collectible" status if they cannot pay their taxes and basic living expenses. A request for a collection moratorium must be filed with the IRS, and you may be required to submit financial documentation in the form of a Collection Information Statement or a Collection Information Statement for Wage Earners and Self-Employed Individuals to back up your claim that you are in dire financial straits. You'll be asked to detail your monthly earnings and outgoings on that form.
A few things should be kept in mind regarding this tax break:
Companies specializing in tax relief often provide financial aid to taxpayers in a bind. You can utilize some of them if you need help with the procedure or completing forms. The tax relief firm may need you to pay an up-front fee equal to a certain percentage of your tax debt.
Unfortunately, most taxpayers do not meet the requirements for the schemes these scammers promote, and the businesses they represent are all scams.
There are five different sorts of tax transcripts that you can request for free from the Internal Revenue Service.
To determine whether or not an offer in compromise is right for you, you can utilize the IRS's online pre-qualifier tool. Remember that this is only the first step; you will still need to submit a formal application after using this tool.