Tax Appeals
IRS
In processing millions of returns each year, the IRS has been known to sometimes make mistakes. They have automated programs that will ‘correct’ your return and assess a liability that you may not owe. The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities to appeal mistakes that IRS might make, or even ways to have them reconsider a decision that appears to be final. Ideally, you are one of the few who do not encounter the inevitable bureaucratic mistakes that happen over decades of tax filing. But if you are like millions of taxpayers that are affected every year by antiquated return processing systems and good old human error, it’s worthwhile to hire a competent power of attorney who can protect you from danger or get you out of dodge if you are victim to enforcement from an IRS error or hardship. We can help you with your appeal or file one on your behalf—reach out today.
Questions?
What are the most common types of appeals with the IRS?
The most common types of appeals we file with the IRS relate to protesting a wrongful assessment or an aggressive collection action taken by the IRS. Fortunately, the IRS has countless appeal programs available, many of which are detailed in Title 26 of the US Tax Code and the Internal Revenue Manual. Unfortunately for most taxpayers, these documents are very dense and complex, nor are they inclusive of all the programs the IRS has available to help taxpayers appeal wrongful determinations. Some of the best appeals programs at the IRS are tucked away in Treasury Regulations, Revenue Bulletins, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Library. Contact us today for help with your IRS tax appeal.
What’s the difference between amending and appealing?
Let’s say you file your income tax return with your accountant, and then receive another tax document in the mail that should have been reflected on your return. In this case, the best course of action is to wait until the IRS processes the incorrect return, and, if they don’t automatically adjust your return to include the tax document you forgot, you would then amend the return to account for the missing tax info. Now, after you’ve amended the return you wait several months for the IRS to adjust your incorrect return to the amended amounts. A common scenario is that they do adjust the return, but not in the way you depicted on the amended return. At which point you would then appeal the wrongful assessment.
When should I file an appeal? Should I always file an appeal?
You don’t want to file an appeal just to file an appeal. If the assessment or determination is correct, then appealing only delays the inevitable. That being said, many taxpayers take IRS determinations for granted and fail to exercise their appeal rights properly. They may have an opportunity to work with the Appeals program at IRS, agents that are known to be generally more experienced and helpful than normal IRS collection agents and Revenue Officers. And for whatever reason (they don’t know about the Appeals programs, they are being strong-armed by the IRS, they are just overwhelmed, etc.), taxpayers miss out on the opportunity to file timely appeals and get the help they need. We are familiar with all of these programs and we’ve worked with hundreds of Appeals Offers, so call us today for help.