Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Strategies on How to Settle Tax Debt

By Jim Lee


Tax debt is the amount of taxes that you owe to the government in a certain tax period. These taxes must be paid by a certain amount of time, otherwise you may be charged with tax evasion which is punishable by law with a sentence of up to 5 years and/or a pretty hefty fine; sometimes it can get up to $100,000.

Filing a false return can get you in hot water as well with a prison sentence of up to 3 years and/or a fine of up to $100,000. Failing to file a tax return can result in a fine of $25,000 per year you don't file as well as a maximum of a 1 year sentence in prison. So now that you know what it is and the penalties for trying to avoid it, what is the quickest way that you can pay it off and not have to deal with having a felony on your record?

Getting rid of the tax debt you can be very difficult, especially if you are not currently involved with a professional that deals with taxes. If you are $10,000 or below in debt, you are probably capable enough to solve this problem on your own without getting into any tax pro jazz. $10,000 and above, you should probably think about talking to one because of how difficult and stressful it can be to do it without a professional opinion. If you are doing it on your own, there are about 5 strategies that you can talk to the IRS about:

Installment agreement, partial payment installment agreement, offer in compromise, not currently collectible (system in which the IRS agrees not to collect on the debt for a year), and filing bankruptcy. These are really the only ways that you can get it out of your hair.

So how would you go about getting out of tax debt fast? Well let's start with saying that bankruptcy will get rid of all your tax payments. That is a myth. It has its own qualifications and stipulations. The best way to get rid of tax debt quickly is getting a professional tell you what the best course of action for you is. Depending on your financial situation, it could be entirely different from your next door neighbor. Make sure to talk to him/her about the 5 ways to pay it off and which one suits you.

You cannot be sued for your tax debts. The government runs on its own system and cannot sue you for not paying your taxes; they move to more severe types of punishments and you will most likely be paying quite a hefty fine if you try to cheat them.

If you die while in the process of paying your tax debt, the debt will be paid out of your 'estate', or the money and property you leave behind. The debtor's partner is in no way responsible for your debt unless you were involved in a joint loan or something of the sort.




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