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

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Become fluent in the language of IRS collection agents

By , Automated Collection Service, Collection Financial Standards, Currently Not Collectible, Form 433A, Form 433B, IRS Financial Statements, Offer in compromise, Revenue Officers, Statute of limitations on collections

An IRS collection agent throws a word or phrase your way, and you have no idea what he is talking about. As they say, it is all Greek to you.  And too much is at stake to bluff your way through it. A wrong move or misunderstanding could result in a levy on your bank account, wages, or seizure of assets. How can you negotiate yourself out of trouble with the IRS if you don't understand the language of IRS collection agents? To even the playing field, here are the 10 of the most important terms you should know when you owe back taxes to the IRS: 1.     IRS Revenue Officer.  This ... Read More

How to make an IRS Revenue Officer’s day

By , Revenue Officers

You have come to know your IRS Revenue Officer as difficult, unyielding, and, of course, aggressive. You believe that the Revenue Officer has one job, and that is to make your life difficult. The truth is probably very different. The reality is the unfair treatment you feel you are getting is likely the result of difficulties the Revenue Officer believes she has had in working with you. You may disagree with this, and you could be right.  But the power is with the Revenue Officer, and as a starting point it is her perception that matters. Think of it this way:  When your head is ... Read More

It’s okay to disagree with the IRS: Knowing your appeal rights

By , Automated Collection Service, IRS Appeals, IRS Audits, Revenue Officers

Do you disagree with the IRS, and are becoming frustrated because no one is listening? Maybe you are under audit, and the IRS Revenue Agent is being difficult, taking unreasonable positions, or proposing changes to your tax return that are wrong, but refuses to see it your way. Or maybe you already owe money to the IRS, and their collection division is coming on strong, requesting payment terms you cannot afford, or levying your assets. You do not need to feel like the IRS has the upper hand.  IRS power does need to be respected, but at the same time there are options to even the ... Read More

When can the IRS levy? Notices CP504 vs. LT11

By , Automated Collection Service, IRS collection notices, IRS levies and property seizures, IRS Seizures, Revenue Officers

My grandmother used to have saying about people, always telling me "It's what inside that counts." It was her way of telling young Howie to not to judge a book by its cover, that looks can be deceiving. Little did I know that one day that advice would apply to IRS collection letters. Yes, on the surface, IRS collection letters look the same, and those looks can often be very misleading. One of the biggest offenders is the IRS Notice of Intent to Levy. As part of its collection process, the IRS sends two different letters, each called a Notice of Intent to Levy.  On their ... Read More

Fear the IRS closing down your business? It’s not as likely as you think

By , IRS Collection Problems, IRS levies and property seizures, IRS Seizures, Property Exempt from Collection, Revenue Officers, Unfiled returns

You worked your whole life to get to this point, a business that belongs to you, making your own decisions, working your trade and sharing expertise. But then things suddenly got a little out of control, and you got behind paying the IRS. Maybe it started with one bad year, and you thought you could get a handle on it and get caught up soon.  But tomorrow never came, and the damage continued to snowball year after year. Now the IRS is owed more than you can ever pay. And you fear losing your business and all that you worked for, and having nothing for retirement. Fear not, it ... Read More

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