Confusing Letters: Let's say you're recently divorced and you've been separated for a few months now. The two of you have gone your separate ways and are now living your own lives. But you get a letter in the mail that says your ex owes $50,000 dollars in back taxes, and they're going to hold you accountable. The first thing you do , obviously, is call that ex of yours. Turns out you can't get in touch with them either! So what are you supposed to do?
First of all...Can they Do This? They can and they will. The IRS has all legal rights to pursue the spouse or ex-spouse of someone that owes the IRS. Especially if you filed jointly during the years of question. But now you're wondering what's going to happen because the IRS is threatening to garnish your wages because of your ex's debt. You know you can prove that the debt wasn't your fault, but you've never had any IRS issues before, so you aren't really sure how it all works.
What is Innocent Spouse Relief? While the IRS can seem ruthless, they do understand that situations like yours happen. As a matter of fact, the only reason they contact the spouse or ex-spouse is usually to give the debtor even more motivation to contact the IRS. But a program called Innocent Spouse Relief is offered in which the IRS looks past the situation, in lieu of the circumstance. If the debt is your spouses or ex-spouses and you can prove that, you can usually qualify.
What if the Debt was partly Mine? If the debt was partly yours as well, the chances of qualifying for Innocent Spouse have not necessarily dropped. If you can prove that you did not significantly benefit from the debt, you were abused during your marriage, or you would suffer financial hardships if your were forced to pay the tax, you may very well qualify. Whatever your case, its important you speak with a professional and find out whether or not you could qualify.
There's Help? Speaking with a quality tax professional will not only give you great insight, but can also ultimately solve your IRS issues forever. Check out the companies' background and find out if they're the right one for you. There are also several red flags that have been issued by the IRS and the FTC that you can search for.
Now you have the Smoking Gun...Use It!
Richard Close was an IRS-Hitman. He worked as a revenue officer for the IRS and his father was the head of the collections branch for 30 years; so it runs in the family. He left that behind and now he's partnered with Tax Defense Network to help thousands of Americans with their tax problems. He gives the tips and tricks for you to fight the IRS and win! Visit him at: http://irs-hitman.blogspot.com or http://www.taxdefensenetwork.com or contact: email irs-hitman@taxdefensenetwork.com or 1-888-248-9058.
