Millions of people in the United States are struggling with IRS debt. This can be a huge burden, both emotionally and financially. If you are one of these people, you may be wondering if there is any way to get out from under this massive weight.
Thankfully, there is! The IRS has a Tax Forgiveness Fresh Start Program that can help you get your life back on track.
This blog post will discuss how back taxes can be forgiven and the Eligibility Requirements for Tax Forgiveness.
How Can Back Taxes Be Forgiven?
There are several misconceptions about what constitutes tax forgiveness eligibility.
The IRS offers certain programs that will assist you in the case of unique circumstances, such as the innocent spouse provisions.
However, while these complete forgiveness plans do exist, they are only for specific reasons.
The IRS fresh start initiative allows you to receive forgiveness credits against your earned income to lower the overall amount owing, in some cases, to zero.
What Is Tax Forgiveness?
The actual tax relief is given in credits against back taxes. These credits may lower your tax burden to a significant extent.
To qualify, you must show the IRS how much taxable and non-taxable money you make, as well as how many people reside in your household and your unique financial situation.
Offer in Compromise
The IRS will consider these figures and may allow you to submit an Offer in Compromise. This is the closest thing the IRS has to tax forgiveness (beyond those rare circumstances) and will enable you to negotiate a settlement with the IRS on your behalf.
How to Qualify for Tax Forgiveness
There are a few typical methods to get into trouble with your taxes, which all have to do with how the IRS calculates your eligibility for relief.
Here are a few of the most prevalent tax mistakes:
- Overstated or understated income on tax forms
- Failure to take all deductions into account
- Bracket creep
- Unexpected increases in income without steps to reduce tax liability
- Failure to report income from contractual or side jobs
- Failure to report earning money from investments
The major problem with these tax traps is that you earned more money than you paid taxes on, and the IRS will not back down unless you apply for forgiveness.
How Tax Forgiveness Works
The basic idea of tax forgiveness is that it’s not really about the IRS eliminating your debt; it’s more about disclosing accounting mistakes, demonstrating extenuating circumstances, and negotiating a settlement on the amount owed.
You might be wondering if a back tax can be compensated. A variety of criteria determines the answer.
Income
Prepare to reveal all of your income, taxable or non-taxable, and even side jobs and contract work.
The IRS uses these figures to assess your ability to pay. If you can’t pay, this will be considered.
Expenses
This is the second step in determining whether the IRS can afford to pay. Certain national norms dictate how much of your total income may be deducted for such things as health care, transportation, and home necessities (such as food, clothing, etc.).
In many cases, local area standards are used to calculate living expenses. With sufficient proof, amounts that exceed these standards may be considered.
Outcome
The IRS uses the same methods to calculate your overall income used to calculate your initial tax. Your total income is evaluated, your cost allowances are subtracted, any other mitigating circumstances are considered, and your overall capacity to pay is calculated in the same manner as it was when you filed taxes for the first time.
The IRS generally adheres to a six-year repayment period, so your Offer in Compromise may be accepted if your reduced amount is correct.
Other Eligibility Requirements for Tax Forgiveness
There are a few other factors that may assist you in qualifying for either a higher level of tax forgiveness or total tax forgiveness.
The most basic way to get complete forgiveness is to show that your allowable expenses reduce your disposable income below a level at which payments would be burdensome.
It’s not always easy to do so. However, you must fulfill a few conditions to qualify for some tax forgiveness.
Natural Disaster Assistance
The IRS permits people who itemize their deductions to deduct catastrophe losses for both personal and commercial possessions resulting from a declared disaster.
For example, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Irma, and the recent round of California wildfires.
Disasters are eligible for tax deductions, and payments are accelerated in the year of declaration. Tax returns may be submitted in the same year as a disaster occurs, and claims are expedited for declared disasters.
Affected individuals are frequently given extensions on the deadline for submitting their taxes. In most situations, this is done to ensure that taxpayers have enough time to gather all of the casualty information for their forms.
Innocent Spouse
Those legally divorced or separated are eligible for relief under this clause. As an innocent spouse, you can apply to have your tax debt forgiven if you can show that your spouse was responsible for the incurred tax liability and that you had no part in or reason to know about the errors.
Prepare to submit all required documentation if you want to avoid being fined. This isn’t a forgiveness program; instead, it places responsibility for past unpaid taxes on the proper person.
Currently not Collectible
There is a chance that you may be able to avoid paying your IRS fines altogether if you genuinely can’t afford to pay back taxes.
To be Currently Not Collectible, your financial condition must be such that any payment to the IRS would represent a significant financial hardship for you and your family.
This is a time-limited status, and the IRS may reexamine your case.
Need help with the Eligibility Requirements for Tax Forgiveness?
It’s not the best feeling to be in trouble with the IRS, but it’s not the end of the world. There are various assistance and forgiveness options accessible to you.
The worst thing you can do is to attempt to avoid the IRS. They have the power to seize your income, tax refunds, and other benefits.
If you find yourself in this scenario, the most significant thing you can do is seek tax professional back tax assistance.
Call Today
With help, you may be surprised at the results. You may be able to get your back taxes reduced significantly if you fully disclose the facts and mitigating circumstances considered.
