Our Services

Associated Tax Relief provides professional tax negotiation services to qualified candidates who meet IRS guidelines. Please browse through these questions and hopefully they will provide some answers. (The answers will pop up in a new window)

• Negotiated Settlement/Offer in Compromise
  
• Approved by Congress to aid taxpayers, this is a relatively straight forward program, either you are eligible or not. Recently published IRS Policy Statement P-5-100 reads in part as follows:
• The IRS will accept an offer in compromise when it is unlikely that the tax liability can be collected in full and the amount offered reasonably reflects collection potential. An offer in compromise is a legitimate alternative to declaring a case currently non-collectible or to a protracted installment agreement. The goal is to achieve collection of what is potentially collectible at the earliest possible time and at the least cost to the Government.
  Because of the popularity of the program, millions of cases are submitted, backlogging the process. Each case is scrutinized and examined. Any material error can cause an offer to be rejected altogether. Thankfully, our professional staff have years of experience and know the intricacies of this program. We use the the IRS guidelines. When you call, your assigned tax strategist will walk you through the procedure, answering any questions and providing a free assessment of your case.
  
  
  
• Penalty Abatement
  
• In addition to the "Offer in Compromise" the IRS offers an alternative program for reduction of an outstanding tax debt. If there were circumstances beyond your control that prevented you from paying your tax debt and led to delinquency, we can challenge the penalties and interest that have built up. Relief from penalties falls into four separate categories. They are:
  
  Reasonable Cause - mistake made by the taxpayer, ignorance of law, death, serious illness, unavoidable absence or divorce.
  
  Statutory Exceptions - simple or complex legislative tax code changes.
  
  Administrative Waivers - undue hardship, fire, flood, natural disaster, bad legal/tax advice.
  
  Correction of Service Error - mistakes made by the IRS.
  
• Because relief from accrued penalties and interest is based on the facts of the tax return rather than financial hardship, terms for a successful penalty abatement are very specific. More so than any other, this program involves a great deal of skill to successfully navigate the IRS protocol to bring in a beneficial resolution. When applied correctly and effectively, results can be substantial; savings are usually in the thousands of dollars for the average taxpayer.
  
  
• Wage Garnishment or Bank Levy
  
• When the IRS or state has failed repeatedly to collect back taxes, they begin to seize assets. This process is called a "levy." When they attach wages, it's termed a "wage garnishment." The taxing authorities are legally allowed to seize bank accounts, demand payment from accounts receivable, take control of property for auction, and assume title on vehicles. Virtually anything of value can be seized to satisfy the outstanding debt. Levies and wage garnishment are the most crippling and humiliating of all collection tactics. They're designed to force taxpayers into willful compliance. We have in the past been successful in getting levies lifted but not all taxpayers qualify for this relief.
  
  
• Payment Plan
  
• This program is for taxpayers and businesses who cannot settle their entire tax debt at one time and need to make payment arrangement. If the IRS has burdened you with an unreasonable payment plan, or is threatening a levy on your wages, bank accounts and other assets, we can negotiate a payment plan for you that conforms to your current financial situation or, if you qualify, we can have your account placed in a "not currently collectible" status. Under this program, the IRS withholds all collection activity until you are financially able to accept a payment plan or have an Offer in Compromise submitted, but not all taxpayers qualify for this relief.
  
• Lien Subordination
  
• If there is a tax lien on your home or property, we can negotiate to have the lien lifted if you qualify, allowing you to refinance or sell. This solution is especially useful when using equity in a property to pay off a negotiated settlement, but not all taxpayers qualify for this relief, only under certain circumstances you may be eligible for the relief.
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• Payroll Tax
  
• If you own or have owned a business with employees, and owe 941 or Employee Withholding Tax, and if it is not paid, penalties and interest will begin to accrue. If these taxes are neglected long enough, the business can be closed and all assets seized to satisfy the debt.

  As these cases vary substantially in intricacy, your assigned strategist will provide a detailed assessment of your options and map out possible affordable solutions.

  
  
• State Tax
  
• Many people who owe the IRS in turn end up owing state tax as well. While not as broad in scope as the IRS, state collection authorities nevertheless have tremendous reach and are generally more forceful in their collection efforts. Most states offer similar versions of the Offer in Compromise program, and will offer payment plans and amnesty from penalties and interest if successfully approached. Our staff can provide you with the most state taxing authorities.
  
  
• Unfiled Returns
  
• It occurs frequently that taxpayers do not file tax returns for one or more years because they are missing all or a portion of their records. There are ways to approach the problem of missing records.
  The I.R.S. maintains a file going back 6 years of all W2's, 1099's and 1098's (mortgage interest paid) filed in the name of individual taxpayers. Associated Tax Relief can determine certain facts from Master File Transcripts, available for those years where the IRS has prepared a Substitute Return. These 'records of account' provide Adjusted Gross Income, Taxable Income, Tax, Number of Exemptions, Filing Status and Self Employment Tax. Missing business records can be determined in many cases by obtaining copies of bank statements for years past, as well as credit card statements. From that, it is possible to prepare a proper tax return.
  Associated Tax Relief can prepare past returns using various substitute sources when there are missing records. Those returns should be filed as soon as possible in order to avoid accumulated compounding of interest.
  Also, it should be noted that if returns have not been filed in the most recent three tax years, those returns should be prepared immediately in order to claim any refunds that may be due.