Fresh Start Tax Program

Can the IRS take all the money in your bank account

Can the IRS force you to sell your home

One of the most common problems with taxes is being unable to pay a tax bill in one lump sum. The IRS Fresh Start initiative offers an option.

After reading through this article, you should understand that the Fresh Start tax initiative is a good idea if you owe the IRS and can’t pay off your tax debt in full.

These two options may be more advantageous than an OIC because they don't necessarily require you to sell your assets or borrow against them to pay. If you are in financial distress, you don't have the obligation to sell or borrow against your assets. For taxpayers, the CNC status and partial-pay installment agreements are more realistic.

The IRS provides tax relief solutions to taxpayers of all income levels. Depending on your financial situation, you may be eligible for one type or another of this relief. For more information about the relief options available to you, consult a tax professional.

Currently Non Collectible Status is not the same as the other Fresh Start programs. This status is more of a "status" than a source of Fresh Start relief. If the taxpayer is in default of paying their taxes, the IRS can place them in Currently Non-Collectible Statute. The status does not remove tax debt. However, it does stop all collection activities. These include bank levies, wage garnishments tax liens and threats letters from the IRS. Currently non-collectible status allows a taxpayer peace of mind to get Fresh Start tax relief without the IRS going after them. To be eligible for the Currently Non-Collectible status, you must meet the IRS Fresh Start Program eligibility requirements, which we will discuss below. The IRS strongly recommends that you consult a tax professional prior to requesting this status. The IRS will not allow you to apply to the IRS Fresh Start Initiative Program alone. They will instead try to get you to accept terms that make sense for them. Once your Currently Collectible Status is over, the IRS may attempt to get you to agree to terms that are more favorable for them. The IRS will then continue their collection efforts, including phone calls and letters warning of penalties. A tax relief organization can help keep you in Currently Non Collectible Status as long and can also help to plan for your exit from Non-Collectible Status.

Only qualified individuals can get tax relief through the federal Fresh Start Program. To be eligible for the IRS Fresh Start Initiative, you must show that paying your taxes would cause substantial financial hardship. You will be able to choose the type of Fresh Start program that suits your needs based on the extent of your financial hardship. The IRS has guidelines that define what constitutes a "financial hardship", but you as the taxpayer or the tax relief agency hired to represent you have full responsibility for proving the hardship.

Can the IRS force you to sell your home
Can IRS take your house

Can IRS take your house

Hiring someone to help with your tax return? Be sure to seek reputable tax assistance. Be wary of preparers who promise a larger refund, base their fees on a percentage of the refund, or promise other too-good-to-be-true outcomes.

The IRS Fresh Start Initiative Program assists taxpayers who owe taxes to the IRS in paying back taxes and avoiding tax liens through various payment options. The IRS has many tax debt relief options. The Fresh Start Program is a general term. The program made changes primarily around tax liens and installment agreements.

The offer amount must be calculated based on the lesser of the remaining months until the Collection Statute End Date (CSED), for the tax debt, or 6 or 24 months depending on the payment option for OIC that the applicant selects.

How much will the IRS usually settle for

You should consider learning more about the Fresh Start Program if you’re a taxpayer with a massive tax debt burden that you can’t pay off immediately. This debt relief option can also help you if you can pay off the entire amount, but would endure financial hardship if you did so.

We get what you're thinking. The Fresh Start Program seems too good for it to be true. The good news is that the IRS is 100% legit.

When you request an IRS offer of compromise, you will need to give a lot more information about your income, assets and cash, and your rent, utilities and groceries. Internal Revenue Service. Form 656 Booklet: An Offer in Compromise. March 17, 2022. View all sources

How much will the IRS usually settle for
What triggers an IRS audit

What triggers an IRS audit

If your offer is rejected by the IRS, you must receive a written explanation from them. Two reasons are usually the reason that compromise offers are rejected by the IRS:

Emergency tax or fee relief is available from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) for taxpayers who have been directly affected by disasters declared as state of emergencies, both within California and nationally. Available services may include the extension of tax return due dates, relief of penalty and interest, or replacement copies of records lost due to disasters.

Nearly all families with kids qualify. Some income limitations apply. For example, only couples making less than $150,000 and single parents (also called Head of Household) making less than $112,500 will qualify for the additional 2021 Child Tax Credit amounts. Families with high incomes may receive a smaller credit or may not qualify for any credit at all. For more detail on the phase-outs for higher income families, see “How much will I receive in Child Tax Credit payments?”

How can I get my tax debt forgiven

To determine if you are eligible for a compromise offer, the IRS suggests that you use their online pre-qualifier tool.

Effective Tax Administration (or ETA) offers may apply where the taxpayer is ineligible for an offer in compromise based on either a theory of Doubt as to Liability or Doubt as to Collectability. The taxpayer must establish that collecting on the tax liability would cause economic hardship, or - in the alternative - "where compelling public policy or equity considerations identified by the taxpayer provide a sufficient basis for accepting less than full payment."

Only those who are eligible for tax relief under the federal Fresh Start Program can receive it. You must prove that your ability to pay your tax balance will cause financial hardship in order to meet the IRS Fresh Start Initiative requirements. Your eligibility for the Fresh Start tax program will depend on how severe your financial hardship is. Although the IRS has some guidelines about what constitutes financial hardship, you or the tax relief company you hire have the sole responsibility of proving it.

How much will the IRS usually settle for
How do I remove a tax lien in California

Hiring someone to help with your tax return? Be sure to seek reputable tax assistance. Be wary of preparers who promise a larger refund, base their fees on a percentage of the refund, or promise other too-good-to-be-true outcomes.

If you are not a partnership, corporation, resident in a U.S. Territory or foreign country or military personnel using APO or FPO addresses, the OIC pre-qualifier is not applicable to your situation. Please complete the Application in the Offer In Compromise Booklet.

The one hoop you will need to jump through involves current tax returns. The IRS requires you to be fully current with all tax returns before you’ll be considered for the Fresh Start program. You also must have the correct amount of withholdings for the current year. This is the IRS’s way of making sure it can trust taxpayers to be accountable." "@type": "Answer", "text": "The Tax Group Center team has been helping people take advantage of the full scope of the IRS Fresh Start program since it was first launched back in 2011. As a result, we’re very familiar with the details of the program. Tax Group Center can help in a number of ways if you’re facing an issue regarding delinquent taxes.

How do I remove a tax lien in California