Blog - Howard Levy is a Cincinnati tax attorney with the experience to find solutions to your IRS problems.

IRS computer-generated collection letters: How to protect yourself.

By Howard S. Levy, Esq., Automated Collection Service, IRS collection notices

A common fear is that an IRS agent may show up one day at your door, take your house, your wages, and your property. But if the IRS wants to get your attention on a tax debt, chances are you can expect to find an aggressive collection letter in your mailbox rather than find them at your front door. The IRS only has a few local collection agents, with most enforcement staffing located at several call centers, known as the IRS Automated Collection System. As the IRS has more computer resources than local agents (known as Revenue Officers), they assign most cases to call centers. Only ... Read More

Warning signs: Is an IRS Revenue Officer about to contact you?

By Howard S. Levy, Esq., Revenue Officers

Surprises can be fun - birthdays, anniversaries, maybe even one in a scary movie. But one surprise that you don't want is an unannounced visit from an IRS Revenue Officer. That can make you feel like a scary movie is coming to life. A Revenue Officer can take your house, levy your wages, clean out your bank account, and even take your business equipment. You may feel like confronting Freddy Krueger is a better option. If you owe money to the IRS, Revenue Officers have more power than any other IRS employee. An IRS decision to send a Revenue Officer to you is not random, but ... Read More

Why the IRS wants to levy your wages, and how to get them to back off

By Howard S. Levy, Esq., IRS levies and property seizures

One of the biggest fears in owing the IRS is not knowing what will come next. You may feel as if you are always looking over your shoulder, wondering if today is the day the IRS will show its teeth - it's a horrible feeling. Maybe you have not heard from the IRS, or they have not heard from you. When the IRS is kept in the dark, they tend to get aggressive. This aggression rears its head in the form of the IRS levying your wages, income, accounts, and property. Or maybe your account is active in the IRS collection queue, with the IRS calling you or sending letters threatening to ... Read More

Protect your passport from the IRS: Responding to letter CP508C

By Howard S. Levy, Esq., IRS Collection Problems

The IRS has the power to take your wages, bank accounts, house, and even your retirement account. Additionally, they have the power to restrict your travel. Maybe you are getting ready to travel overseas on a business trip, or have a long-planned trip abroad to visit friends or family members. Maybe you are overseas now and want to return to the states. If you owe money to the IRS, your travel plans can be in jeopardy. Internal Revenue Code Section 7345 allows the IRS to revoke, deny, and limit your passport if you have unpaid taxes. To notify you that they want to take away ... Read More

How to avoid IRS Form 433A financial disclosures

By Howard S. Levy, Esq., Automated Collection Service, Collection Financial Standards, Form 433A, Installment agreements, Interest and penalties, IRS Financial Statements, IRS levies and property seizures, Retirement accounts and the IRS, Revenue Officers

A local IRS collection agent, known as a Revenue Officer, has contacted you, possibly with a surprise visit to your home or work. The Revenue Officer has been assigned your IRS debt for collection, and is about to launch a full investigation into your finances. Or, maybe you are getting up the nerve to give the IRS Automated Collection Service a call, prepared to discuss your debt and make payment arrangements. Either way, at the core, the IRS wants to know how they can get paid. They will want the following information: Where you bank, and how much is in the account. Name of ... Read More