A tax settlement is when you pay less than you owe and the IRS erases the rest of your tax amount owed. If you don’t have enough money to pay in full or make payments, the IRS may let you settle. The IRS also reverses penalties for qualifying taxpayers.
You determine which type of settlement you want and submit the application forms to the IRS. The IRS reviews your application and requests more information if needed. If the IRS does not accept your settlement offer, you need to make alternative arrangements. Otherwise, collection activity will resume. If the IRS accepts your settlement offer, you just make the payments as arranged.
At that point, you are in good standing with the IRS, but if you default on the terms of the agreement, the IRS may revoke the settlement offer.
To explain, imagine you owe the IRS $20,000, and the IRS agrees to accept a $5,000 settlement. You agree to make five $1,000 payments over the next five months. However, you pay $2,000 and then stop making payments. In this case, the IRS credits the $2,000 to your tax liability, but it cancels the settlement agreement and resumes collection activity.
These are the basic steps you need to follow if you want to settle taxes owed.
Here is an overview of the main ways that you can settle your tax liability for less than you owe:
An offer in compromise is the most sought after settlement method, but it is hard to get. The IRS requires very detailed financial information. To get your offer accepted, you have to convince the IRS that you cannot pay more now or in the future.
With a lump sum cash offer in compromise, you make a 20 percent upfront payment and pay the rest of the settlement within five months. With a periodic payment offer in compromise, you pay the settlement over six to 24 months.
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A partial payment installment agreement allows you to make monthly payments on your tax liability. You make payments over several years, but you don’t pay all of the taxes owed. As you make payments, some of the taxes owed expire. That happens on the collection statute expiration date.
Penalty abatement is when the IRS erases all or some of the tax penalties. There are multiple ways to qualify for penalty abatement. The IRS realizes that there are legitimate reasons for not paying or filing on time, and the agency created penalty abatement for this purpose. In particular, if you are late for the first time, it’s easy to get all of your penalties erased.
If you don’t qualify for a settlement, you don’t necessarily have to pay your taxes in full right away. The IRS is surprisingly willing to work with delinquent taxpayers, and there is a range of other programs and options. Here are some of the most popular options.
An installment agreement is the most common method to pay back taxes to the IRS. With an installment agreement, you make monthly payments until you have paid the liability in full. If you personally owe less than $100,000 or if your business owes less than $25,000, it is relatively easy to get an installment agreement. As of 2017, the IRS gives taxpayers up to 84 months (7 years) to complete their payment plans.
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This option may get you off the hook temporarily. If you cannot afford to pay anything or if your tax liability is creating undue financial hardship, you may be able to qualify for uncollectible status. Typically, the IRS reviews your account every couple of years. If your financial situation improves, you may have to begin paying the taxes back. However, if your financial situation does not improve, then it is likely that the statute of limitations on the taxes will expire before the IRS collects & the liability for those years in the agreement will not be owed.
If you owe federal and state taxes, you must resolve those taxes separately. Each state has its settlement programs. Some states have settlement programs that are very close to the IRS settlement methods, and others have drastically different programs. Review the state you owe taxes in to find what resolutions are offered by the state.
If you want the IRS to stop collection activities, you need to make arrangements. If you don’t set something up, the IRS will continue to try to get the money in other ways. A lot of the process is automated, and if you don’t prove your situation to the IRS, the IRS will have no idea that you are experiencing financial hardship.
Dealing with the IRS is complicated and confusing. To ensure you get the best settlement for your needs, you should work with a tax settlement professional. A tax professional will analyze your situation and points you in the right direction. In most cases, they can let you know if your settlement offer is going to get approved before you even apply.
Offer in Compromise
If you have heard the term settling for pennies on the dollar, this is how it is done. Don’t expect this to be easy though, the IRS is very picky about who will qualify.
Partial Payment Installment Agreement
This settlement will allow you to pay back IRS taxes in monthly amounts that are less than the total amount owed, that is if you don’t qualify for the regular installment agreement
Penalty Abatement
Remove all of or part of your penalties owed by the IRS by proving to them you had a legitimate reason for not filing or paying your taxes on time.
IRS Payment Plans
When you are unable to pay your taxes in full the IRS offers several options for taxpayers to pay back their tax liabilities.
State Tax Settlement
Each state has its own state tax settlement programs. Use this guide to select your state to find out the settlement programs offered.
Tax Settlement Help
Do you need help settling taxes? Our Tax Team (Tax Attorneys, Tax Lawyers, CPA’s, IRS Agents) can find the best tax settlement method for your situation. Find out how our tax settlement service works.
File Back Taxes
If you still have unfiled returns it will be required that you file your back taxes before you can attempt at getting a settlement with the IRS.
Tax On Liability Settlement
Understand how the IRS tax on liability that is settled, canceled, or forgiven works. Find out exceptions to reporting the settled liability as income on your tax return.