Home
>
Tax
>
IRS Offer-in-Compromise, Hype or Hope?

IRS Offer-in-Compromise, Hype or Hope?

"Settle for Pennies on the Dollar! IRS debts settled for $20 Wipe out the Penalties with an Offer"-such is the language of Offer-in-Compromise promoters. What they fail to tell you is that one has to qualify for an Offer and few taxpayers will be able to meet the tough standards for an OIC.

The Offer-in-Compromise (OIC) has been around for a long time, but it wasn't until 1992 that IRS started really using the program in good faith. After the Revenue Reform Act of 1998, IRS became even more liberal with the OIC. At one point almost half of all Offers were being accepted. Unfortunately, in 2002, the IRS started getting tough on Offers and now only about 25% of all Offers are accepted. The main reason for the decline was the centralization of Offers at two IRS locations instead of them being worked locally at the district offices.

An Offer can be made for "Doubt as to Liability" or "Doubt as to Collectability." Submitting a proper OIC is more than just filling out an IRS Form 656. A good offer must have 3 recent months of supporting documentation attached with the Form 656 (if the OIC is for doubt as to collectability). Failure to fill out the Form 656 properly, failure to include all liabilities, or failure to provide the documentation required results in an Offer that is dead on arrival. Even if the forms are complete and the data provided; the Offer is now just "processable" and 6-9 months may go by before a decision is reached on the merits of the OIC.

Unscrupulous Offer Promoters often don't qualify people for the Offer, they just sell them a bill of goods. Folks can pay thousands and not have a chance at an OIC to begin with! Don't do business with anybody that doesn't at least take a full financial statement from you. If the matter is Doubt as to Liability, no financial is required, but there needs to be a solid basis for the claim in law and policy.

The main items that often sink an Offer when someone does qualify based on income and expenses are assets such as IRAs, 401Ks and home equity. If you owe the IRS 25K but you have an IRA worth 50K and home equity of 50K, forget about an OIC. There would have to be a horrible circumstance in your life to get past the equity in assets. In very rare cases of health or old age, exceptions can be made. Just because you can't pay your bills on time doesn't make you an Offer candidate. You must not be able to full pay based on income and expenses plus the "quick sale" value of your assets. Only then is a Doubt at to Collectability Offer an option.

If you qualify, you really can settle for "pennies on the dollar," but it might be 30-50% of your debt based on the math. To settle for $500 you would have to be broke with no assets at all and no prospects for near term improvement of your financial situation. See a CPA, Tax Attorney, or Enrolled Agent if you are considering an Offer. They can go over all of your options.

You can learn more about Offers at these websites:

www.irs.gov
www.naea.org
www.nsacct.org
www.etaxes.com
www.exirsman.com

James Robert Coleman, E.A., A.T.A.
Enrolled Agent, Accredited Tax Advisor, former IRS Revenue Officer. Member-National Association of Enrolled Agents & National Society of Accountants.

family-safe home cleaners Morton Grove ..

In The News:

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.