Question:
Dear Steve,
Me and my husband owe federal and state taxes. We have not filed in about five years, My husband owes money for a loan he took out for my son when he was in college.
Do I need hire a tax attorney or can I work directly with the IRS to get this taken care of? There are several tax relief companies but I don’t know who to trust.
Trenease
Answer:
Dear Trenease,
Getting competent professional advice is always a smart thing to do. But I’m not sure an advertised “tax relief” company is always the best choice.
If you want to find someone who will be able to craft a unique plan based on your situation then a tax professional is a good choice.
But it is quite possible that an Enrolled Agent is a more cost-effective solution.
“Enrolled Agents (EAs) are federally-licensed tax practitioners who may represent taxpayers before the IRS when it comes to collections, audits and appeals.” They are not a heavily marketed single solution relief company. You should be able to find a local Enrolled Agent to meet with. Here is one place to look.
But your situation may require help from two professionals. One may be a bankruptcy attorney. Depending on the specific issues surrounding your old tax debt, some of it may be able to be discharged in bankruptcy.
And depending on the type of loan your husband took out, that may also be able to be included in bankruptcy if it was a personal loan.
I would suggest you first tax to the tax professional you select, get your back taxes filed, and before you make any payment promises you meet with a state licensed bankruptcy attorney to see what back taxes may be able to be discharged.
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Asked question about back taxes.
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