When in Need of a Child Support LawyerWhen in Need of a Child Support Lawyer

About Me

When in Need of a Child Support Lawyer

Welcome to my blog. I’m Lorna Elliot. My husband and I divorced three years ago. We had been married for ten years and had two children together. Our divorce was fine at first, but then he stopped paying child support. What do you do when the father of your children stops paying child support? Or, you find out that your ex-husband who never paid child support now has a full-time job? It would be nice if, as the parents of the same children, you could come together and make adjustments to your original child support agreement. But this doesn’t usually happen and when it doesn’t, finding a lawyer is the way to proceed. This is what I’ve had to do, and I want to share my experience with you.

What Can You Do If You Have A Large Tax Debt?

30 April 2019
 Categories: Law, Blog

Do you have a tax debt that's too large to pay out of your savings or with a credit card? If you do, there's no need to panic. You have several options available.

First, Will You Go to Jail?

Most people start to worry when they have a tax debt because they think the IRS will put them in jail. The IRS takes collecting taxes very seriously, but the IRS doesn't put people in jail for having a debt.

Criminal charges and jail time are reserved for things like fraud and tax evasion. That would be things like not filing a tax return or filing a false tax return to avoid having to pay what you really owe. If you filed your tax return properly and just can't pay your bill, you won't go to jail.

Try an Installment Agreement

The easiest way to take care of a tax debt you can't pay today is with an IRS installment agreement. An installment agreement is a payment plan that lets you pay the IRS over time.

This is not a get out of jail free card, as you still have to pay interest and penalties. Further, there are strict rules that you have to follow, such as filing all your tax returns on time and not having any other unpaid taxes.

Can You Negotiate Your Tax Bill Down?

You may have seen TV commercials talking about settling IRS debts for pennies on the dollar. That's not how it works. Unlike a business debt, the IRS doesn't negotiate. What the commercials are calling a settlement is a payment plan or other debt relief option.

The only exception is when there's a disputed area, such as the results of an audit. If there isn't 100% certainty on the issue and the IRS believes there's a chance they might lose in court, you may be able to settle in that situation.

Are There Other Ways to Lower Your Tax Bill?

There are several other options to lower your tax bill, such as an offer in compromise or non-collectible status. These other options involve proving to the IRS that your financial situation makes it unlikely that you will ever be able to pay off the tax debt. In those situations, the IRS may opt to take what they can get instead of spending more resources trying to collect an uncollectible debt.

To learn more about the options available to you, talk to a local tax attorney today.