IRS installment agreement vs. Chapter 13 bankruptcy: Which repayment plan saves you the most?

Trying to repay the IRS in an installment agreement can be difficult.  The interest and penalties the IRS charges doubles the original amount of tax you owe every five years.
Your installment agreement may keep the IRS at bay, but your tax liability does not get paid off.
The tax code and the IRS offers no real way [...]

I owe back taxes to the IRS. Now what? Part II of II

In addition to (1) offers in compromise, (2) bankruptcy and (3) uncollectible (See Part I, above), here are three more solutions to owing back taxes to the IRS:
4.      Statute of limitations on collection.  The IRS has 10 years to collect unpaid taxes – starting from when the IRS puts the tax liability on [...]

Can I make the IRS an offer to pay tax only?

I received this question about using an offer in compromise on interest and penalties:
I owe $25,000 in tax, but the interest and penalties have made the amount I owe almost double.  Won’t the IRS be happy just to get the principal I owe back and forgive the interest and penalties?
In an offer in compromise, the [...]

Proposed relief for IRS interest and penalties.

In these difficult economic times, repaying the IRS is becoming harder than ever.  Installment agreements may be entered into in good faith, but while payments are being made, interest and penalties continue to run.  Every five years, interest and penalties double the original tax.  Most attempts to repay the IRS result in the amount owed increasing, not decreasing, [...]