While some taxes may be dischargeable in bankruptcy, our clients have options after bankruptcy if they are not dischargeable. One option that we provide to our clients is formulating, drafting and submitting an offer in compromise.
Offer in Compromise
Nothing is scarier than the I.R.S. and receiving a Notice of Federal Tax Lien. The I.R.S. can garnish your wages, intercept your tax refunds and levy your bank accounts if you disregard their warnings. A wage garnishment will not only look bad with your employer, but also disrupt your life. However, an offer in compromise may decrease this burden by settling your tax debt for less than the full amount owed. At the Law Offices of Michael H. Raichelson, we assist our clients with offers in compromise with the ultimate goal of compromising your tax debt to suit your needs.
While submitting an offer application does not guarantee that the I.R.S. will accept your offer, it starts the process and informs the I.R.S. of special circumstances which impact your ability to pay your I.R.S. debt in full. Note that the I.R.S. will not settle if it appears that you can pay your tax debt in full via an installment agreement or lump sum. So, you need to hire experience counsel when navigating the offer in compromise waters.
Eligibility
To be considered for an offer in compromise, you must 1) file all of your tax returns; 2) make all estimated payments for the current year; and 3) make all required federal tax deposits for the current period if your are business owner with employees. If you are in a current bankruptcy, you are not eligible to apply for an offer in compromise.
Other Important Information
A Notice of Federal Tax Lien grants the government a legal claim to your property for security for the tax debt. If a Notice of Federal Tax Lien has not been filed before you submit an offer in compromise, a lien will generally not be filed while your offer in compromise is being evaluated. However, penalties and interest continue to accrue during the evaluation period.
Also, if you are in an approved installment agreement with the I.R.S., you can stop making the installment payments when you submit the offer in compromise.
If you owe a tax debt and want to learn more about an offer in compromise, contact the Law Offices of Michael H. Raichelson for a free consultation.










