There are many ways the Ghost of Tax Debt Past can haunt you even if you though it was gone for good. When you're haunted by the IRS not even the Ghostbusters can't help you, so get the facts from the Hitman.
The Tax Lien Ghost: Even if you're approved for Currently Not Collectible status, you can't stop the Ghost of a Tax Lien. It will linger, and cling to your financial life like a curse.
The Deadly Bankruptcy Loophole: If you've filed two bankruptcies within a year, even if it's discharged, the IRS can ignore the Automatic Stay of Collections and continue to collect from your while your debt should be dismissed!
The IRS Haunting Continues: The IRS won't be able to collect from you after your bankruptcy has successfully been discharged, but they won't go quietly into the night. They can still do the following:
Breaking the Rules: The IRS has a 10 Year Statute of Limitations to collect on your tax debt. But this doesn't always stop the curse of the Ghost of Tax Debt Past.
First of all, sometimes IRS Agents will peruse a debt even after the statutes have expired. More dangerous is the fact that ANY action that stops the clock on the statute of limitations (applying for offer in compromise or a bankruptcy, for example) extends the statute of limitations, giving the IRS more time to collect from you!
No Guarantees: To tell the truth, there's no guarantee that the IRS will not try to collect on your debt after the bankruptcy is discharged and every afterward.
If there's a loophole, and there are several, the IRS is going to take it. I've encountered many taxpayers with debts that doubled or tripled after bankruptcy because penalties and interest were still running in the background!
Break the IRS Curse: Remember, the IRS is out for their best interests. They will haunt you and try to take as much from you as possible. The best way to ensure you're not snared by the IRS is to get the second opinion of a professional before making a move.