Should You Hire a Tax Attorney or Work with the IRS?

Dealing with the IRS on paying back taxes is a stressful and often times intimidating experience. The IRS has a reputation for being aggressive and pushy when it comes to collecting IRS tax debt. Some people opt to try and work with the IRS themselves without the help of tax professionals. This has a few benefits and a few drawbacks as well. Getting approved for a tax settlement is difficult, as less than 20% of people who submit an Offer in Compromise are rejected. Seeking help from a tax professional also has many benefits that can increase your chances of getting approved.

When you decide to file for an Offer in Compromise, it is critical that you get the paperwork and forms filled out properly. A failure to fill these forms out right before turning them in can result in a rejection, which means you have to begin the process all over again, and that could take weeks to complete. A tax attorney can help you fill out the forms step by step and provide you with knowledge that helps you understand the process and why the IRS needs certain pieces of information. Doing the paperwork yourself without counsel and help could result in filling out the forms improperly and wasting a lot of time.

It can also be difficult to negotiate the amount of your Offer in Compromise tax settlement due to a lack of understanding how the process and tax code works. A tax professional will handle all of the negotiating so that you do not have to stress yourself out. If the first offer does not get accepted, they can work with you to create another tax settlement offer that might get accepted. A professional tax attorney will make sure you have all of the proper information submitted along with the down payment fees necessary to start the tax settlement process.

Hiring a professional will increase your chances of having your Offer in Compromise accepted by the IRS. The only con to hiring a professional is having to pay for the attorney’s services, but in the long run the pros far exceed the cons.

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