IRS Is a Lot More Open to Compromise These Days

It used to be that if you owed a large debt to the IRS you didn’t have a great chance of catching a break. Even though the IRS has always been able to compromise, at least a little, the tax agency has never been really eager to do so. Some people might not even be aware that this was a possibility, but it is. It’s called an offer in compromise and it gives taxpayers with overwhelming debt the chance to pay off that debt for less than the total amount owed.

During the 10 years between 2000 and 2010 the IRS accepted somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-30 percent of these petitions on average, but never reached the 40 percent threshold. However, recently, especially during the last three years the IRS seems to have become a lot more charitable with offers in compromise. That’s good news for taxpayers with large amounts of tax debt.

In the 2012, the IRS accepted 24,000, or 38 percent, of these offers and that number jumped to 31,000, or 42 percent in 2013. In 2014, the number dipped slightly to 27,000 accepted offers, or 40 percent. Typically the IRS does not accept OICs if the agency feels that the taxpayer has the means to pay off the entire debt. However, every situation is different, so if you are considering making an offer in compromise to the IRS to settle your tax debt, then you might want to speak with an experienced tax accountant from GROCO first, in order to weigh your options. You can contact us by clicking here or by calling 1-877-CPA-2006.

Posted in

Hello? Is This Really the IRS, or Just a Scam?

No one enjoys getting a call from the IRS, but getting a call from someone who claims to be from the IRS, but who is really just a scammer, is even worse. However, according to the country’s top tax agency, that is exactly the kind of sophisticated and elaborate scam that has been going on…

United States and Singapore Buddy Up on Tax Evasion

For those who are still not convinced that the United States is serious about tracking down tax dodgers who are trying to hide money in offshore accounts, here’s one more piece of evidence that might change your mind. In a deal announced last week, the country of Singapore says it has come to terms with…

IRS Overpaid by $6 Billion in Child Tax Credits in 2013

Although no one will probably ever shed a tear to hear that the IRS paid taxpayers too much money, this latest report does nothing to breed confidence in how things are run in the nation’s tax collecting agency. According to reports, the IRS paid about $6 billion in child tax credits last year to people…

Small Business Stock Gain Exclusion Receives 2014 Extension

It’s not like the government to bring everyone some well-needed Christmas cheer, but the new tax bill that lawmakers were finally able to pass brought some good news for many investors before the year ends. It’s unfortunate that it took the entire year to get it done, but at least the tax provisions that did…