OK, so you have IRS or State taxes you cannot pay or haven't paid. Depending on where you are in the process, you could be experiencing a tax levy, tax lien accompanied with interest, penalties and stress. IRS or State tax problems can seem complex but really you have two options in dealing with them.
1) You tackle the situation yourself or
2) You use a tax professional like a tax accountant, tax attorney, or tax relief company
In most cases, a tax attorney or tax accountant is the best choice if you have over 10k in back taxes, but self-help is possible by using the IRS or State website along with other sites. Much of the decision lies in a few questions you should answer:
a) How serious is the tax problem? Do you have more than 10k in back taxes?
b) Do you have time to research and negotiate with the IRS or State?
c) Do you have some small funds available for tax reduction services?
Before running to the tax accountant/attorney or deciding you can take this problem on yourself, consider and ask yourself a few things:
1) How serious is your back taxes problem? A serious tax problem could be defined as a taxpayer with over 10k in back taxes, accompanied with interest, penalties, a lien or a levy. If you have more than 10k in debt or you are experiencing a levy or lien, then it is in your best interests to work with a back taxes resolution company (considering their fees). They are staffed with attorneys and former IRS agents who can resolve and negotiate your debt down to a level most rarely obtain themselves. If you have less than 7500 in back taxes, using a tax resolution firm is not recommended because they can not save you enough to justify the service costs.
2) Do you have time to research and negotiate with the IRS or State? Realize that you will need to factor in the time and effort required to understand how your State and the IRS code works with regards to enforcement actions (lien or levy) if you decide to tackle the problem yourself. You will also need to learn how to effectively negotiate within this code by utilizing and researching the trusted tax solutions available. This is possible if you have time because there are many self-help information sites out there that can assist you. Considering question 1, in summary, if you have more than 10k in back taxes and limited time, you are more likely to save more and prevent credit degradation with a tax resolution firm.
3) Do you have some small funds available for tax reduction services? Many tax reduction companies charge differently. Some charge an upfront retainer fee, some only have a flat contingency fee, and some determine fees based on a percentage of savings. It is best to work with those companies that don't have a retainer fee and work on a contingency basis. In either case, if you don't have at least 1k in funds to get you out of your tax problem then your only choice is to tackle the problem yourself. Some firms will give you advice or a free tax consultation and that is always good to take advantage of to get you on the right track.
Overall, deciding to work with a professional or tackle the problem yourself can be complex. However, if you consider how serious your tax problem is, the time it takes to negotiate yourself, and funds available for services, many times you can decide what you need to do. If you need to research, go to the IRS website, and other back taxes help websites.
For self-help information and a review of other factors to consider when selecting a tax relief company visit our website.