What Should You Do if You Can’t Afford to Pay Back-Taxes?

Paying taxes is no fun. Owing back taxes and not being able to pay them is much worse. Many people get into tax trouble when they end up owing money to the IRS and they don’t have the means to pay it off. This can cause a lot of stress, anxiety and even fear or panic. However, you shouldn’t panic. The IRS won’t show up at your door with the police ready to take you away in handcuffs.

If you do end up owing back taxes and you can’t pay them off all at once, you have some options. That’s because the IRS is willing to work with you, so long as you are willing to work with them. The first thing you should do, is file your return on time, even if you know you don’t have the money to pay off your tax debt. This will help you avoid additional late-filing penalties. 

Pay as much as you possibly can when you file your return. If you just need a little more time then you can file for a short-term extension in order to pay off the remaining debt within 120 days. If it is going to take longer, then apply for a monthly payment plan with the IRS. It’s best to set up an automatic monthly payment plan. There will likely still be interest and some penalties but they will be much lighter.

The IRS wants you to be able to pay your taxes and they are willing to work with you if you keep up your end of the agreement. You can learn more about paying off back taxes by clicking here.

Posted in
Will True Tax Reform Happen in Our Lifetime?

Will True Tax Reform Happen in Our Lifetime?

Will True Tax Reform Happen in Our Lifetime? Will explorers ever truly discover the Fountain of Youth? Will the Cubs ever win the World Series? Will Elvis ever be found alive? There are so many questions that might not ever be answered in our lifetime. Here’s another one: will we ever see true tax reform…

Bookkeeping: What Kind of Records Should I Keep?

Bookkeeping: What Kind of Records Should I Keep?

Bookkeeping: What Kind of Records Should I Keep? You may choose any recordkeeping system suited to your business that clearly shows your income and expenses. Except in a few cases, the law does not require any special kind of records. However, the business you are in affects the type of records you need to keep…

Tips to Help Taxpayers with January 31 Tax Season Opening

We are again suggesting some tips to help taxpayers with the January 31 tax season opening.  The IRS will begin processing most individual income tax returns on Jan. 31 after updating forms and completing programming and testing of its processing systems. The IRS anticipated many of the tax law changes made by Congress under the…

Looks Like More Wealthy Americans Are Saying Goodbye to the U.S.

Looks Like More Wealthy Americans Are Saying Goodbye to the U.S.

The country just got done celebrating its independence this past weekend. With fireworks and all kinds of parties, Americans celebrated to show their appreciation for one of the greatest gifts they have: Freedom. Most Americans are very proud of their citizenship, even if they don’t always like everything the about the laws of the land.…