Don’t Panic Yet: If you’re facing penalties from the IRS because you fell behind on your taxes, you’re not alone. You are among hundreds of American who have the same exact problem. Did you know that if the IRS sticks you with penalties you have recourse? It’s called a Penalty Abatement and it can save you tons of money, and worry.
Stop the Fees! Penalty Abatement is when the IRS offers to forgive the taxpayer for paying the money owed and will remove some of the penalties that were assessed. I’ve even seen cases in which the IRS will completely revoke the penalties. With tax penalties, the IRS assumes that you owe them the money unless you can prove that you don’t deserve to be charged the penalty.
Penalty Shot…Their penalties are sometimes automatically added to a delinquent account without even considering individual circumstances. The IRS doesn’t even think about how you got into the problem in the first place and they just slap you with penalties for not paying. This means that even if you have a good reason for paying them late, the IRS doesn’t know and the system will continue to assess fees.
How to Qualify:
1. You must provide a sound reason as to why you think you qualify. You must provide all the details of the circumstance that prevented you from paying your taxes on time.
2. The IRS requires that you send all notices showing the penalty that you received, along with all documentation showing reasonable cause for being late.
3. You must fill out a Form 843 (a request for abatement form).
Your Case Matters! Everyone’s specific case is different and what the IRS deems as acceptable depends entirely on the individual case. As an IRS-Hitman, I can tell you there is no magic formula in getting penalty abatement. The IRS will make the decision after looking at your situation. In most cases I’ve seen, it could take professional help to get tax penalties removed.
Play the Game! Once you have filed the proper paperwork, you will need to wait. If you do not hear from the IRS within 45 days or so, you will need to send another request. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel on this one; all you have to do is change the date on your request. The IRS should ideally respond within two months. If you did not get the response that you were hoping to get, your next recourse is to get professional assistance to see what else you can do.
Now you have the Smoking Gun...Use it!Labels: Penalty Abatement