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

Considering an offer in compromise? What to expect after you file

By Howard S. Levy, Esq., Offer in compromise

You are tired of owing money to the IRS. That is understandable. Now, you find yourself considering filing an offer in compromise to settle and get a fresh start. Before you jump in, it is important to know what happens inside the IRS to your offer after you send it in. After all, the IRS is a big, often impersonal bureaucracy, and you are asking them to cut you a much needed break. First, let's take a look at the IRS offer in compromise process - what happens after you file, when you will hear back, how long it takes the IRS to work your file, and role of the IRS Offer Examiner. ... Read More

IRS vs your business: Protecting your livelihood from the CP297 final notice of intent to levy.

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

You have worked hard all of your life, creating a business, serving customers, taking care of employees, and providing for your family. Suddenly, your business ran into a few bumps in the road, and money got a little tight. Then, it is time to make payroll, but you are short on funds to pay your employees' withholding taxes to the IRS. You can keep the business afloat, but it is at the cost of keeping the payroll taxes to run the business. The result: You fall behind on your IRS tax obligations. And that can be scary - your livelihood now being put up against the IRS collection ... Read More

IRS collectors can say the darndest things – are they true?

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

You pick up the phone, and call the IRS Automated Collection Service, maybe with some questions, or just to try to resolve your account. Or you have a meeting with an IRS Revenue Officer, who has contacted you to investigate your finances and gather any unfiled tax returns. During the conversations, statements will be made to you about how the IRS collects taxes, and what they can do to you, and what your rights are. The good news is few IRS agents will lead you astray, are familiar with the tax laws that regulate the IRS's collection power, and will give it to you straight. But ... Read More

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