I am engaged to a man that is deeply in debt to the IRS. He has no property in his name that the government can take. If I marry him, and change my name to his, can the IRS seize my property and income to satisfy his debt?
The Answer is Yes: Your income and assets are in jeopardy if you marry into Tax Debt. Keep reading to learn what to do if you're facing an IRS Tax Debt Marriage Blues.
Sorry, but... When you marry someone who already has IRS Tax Debt, you're marring their Tax Debt too! You will be just as responsible for paying back that debt as your new spouse.
So what can this soon to be bride do in the meantime to avoid IRS Tax Debt? There is a solution called Innocent Spouse, but it doesn't normally apply to newlyweds, especially when the spouse to be already knows about the debt.
I'm going to list the Requirements for Innocent Spouse because I know some of you out there may be able to use it to solve your IRS debt brought on by a loving spouse (or ex-spouse!)
- - The taxes owed have to be theirs. That means if you filed jointly, you owe it. The consolation is that they do too.
- - You can prove you were unaware of the debt, thought your spouse was going to pay, or were unaware of items changed in an audit.
- - The debt would cause you hardship. This means you couldn't afford to pay basic living expenses like food and utilities.
- - You suffered abuse in the relationship.
Contact a professional for help as soon as possible if you married into Tax Debt or your spouse caused you a debilitating Tax Debt issue.