About IRS Protection
When you are facing demands from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that you repay an outstanding tax debt, you should start working with an experienced tax lawyer to ensure that your rights are protected during all of your interactions with the IRS. This is not to say that you should choose not to pay your taxes or that if you do not pay your taxes, a lawyer can make it so you are no longer responsible for them. What a lawyer can do for you in situations involving the IRS is to determine exactly what you need to do to remain in compliance or return to compliance and explore your options for reaching that point. Your lawyer can protect you from being taxed unfairly or facing a severe financial burden because of your tax bill. He or she cannot protect you from paying your taxes.
Why Would I Need Protection from the IRS?
When you receive a notification from the IRS about your outstanding tax debt, even the most straightforward, professional correspondence can feel like a demand for immediate payment. Although you should not feel threatened, you should feel a sense of urgency to have the debt issue sorted out. The IRS might have made a clerical error, putting you on the hook for payments you have already made, or it may be legitimately seeking repayment for taxes you did not pay and cannot afford to pay now. In either case, you could be facing consequences that include:
- Tax levies, the legal process through which the IRS can seize money directly from your paycheck or bank account to recover the funds you owe;
- Tax liens, legal orders that grant the IRS the right to seek repayment from the sale or seizure of your assets;
- Wage garnishment; and
- Civil and criminal tax fraud charges. When you are facing this type of charge, you could also be facing jail time, fines, and asset seizure.
How your lawyer protects you from the IRS depends on the circumstances of your case. You might qualify for an offer in compromise to settle your debt or your lawyer might need to defend you in criminal court.
How a Tax Lawyer Can Help you in Interactions with the IRS
Your lawyer is your liaison with the IRS. In other words, your lawyer can interact with the IRS on your behalf, handling the nuanced negotiations that may be necessary to resolve your tax issue while you are free to focus on other areas of your life, such as running your small business or getting together the funds you need to repay your outstanding debt.
Work with an Experienced Illinois IRS Protection Lawyer
During any interaction with the IRS, it is often in your best interest to work with an experienced tax lawyer who can negotiate with the IRS on your behalf and act as your advocate. Contact our team at North Suburban Legal Services LLC today to set up your initial consultation with a member of our team.