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One of the most dreaded times for most Americans is April 15 – Tax Time. If you have ever fallen behind on your taxes, own a small business or are unable to pay what you owe in taxes then you know this is especially true. I owned two small businesses in Southern California for over 20 years and believe me I know whereof I speak.

Many people think owning their own business would be a dream come true, and I can tell you it is rewarding because for over 20 years I owned my own company and enjoyed it very much. But one thing most business owners fail to take into consideration is what the IRS politely calls the “self-employment tax,” which by another name is Social Security. That takes a big 15% bite out of every dollar of profit and if you fall behind on this its murder. If you work for someone else you don’t feel it (the government planned it that way) because you only pay ½ that amount and your employer pays the other half.

Owing the government money can be very scary and is serious business. Failure to pay and underpayment are the two most common problems. There is no painless fix but the sooner it is confronted and solved the better. The government does not like to wait for its’ money and sooner or later you may find that your bank account is seized and/or a lien is put against your assets (like your home).

The last year we were in business, before the economy tanked in the early 90’s, we got behind in our taxes. One day we received a call from a vendor who said our check had bounced. We knew there was money in our account so we called the bank. That’s when we found out that the IRS had frozen our account and taken all the money – and there was nothing we could do about it! Believe me, you don’t want to get yourself into this situation.

Note: If you think bankruptcy will solve your problems, it won’t. Bankruptcy is handled in federal courts and the IRS just won’t recognize bankruptcy as a legal way out of your tax problem.

So how does one go about solving their tax debt problem, especially if you don’t have the money to do pay it in full? Tax relief solutions do exist but it’s best to negotiate a tax repayment schedule and a plan for future payments to keep the government from stepping in.

Tax Debt Relief Negotiations

The federal government would rather have a portion of what you owe and clear the books than to leave it and have it grow by penalties and never get anything. It is this that allows negotiating between the government and the taxpayer. But it is better to have an experienced negotiator than to try to do it yourself. You will come out better off by having a third-party negotiate for you. Think you can’t afford this? Consider the option again; you will be far ahead even with the fee they charge. The IRS will not be looking out for your interest like your negotiator will, and from experience, the negotiator will know exactly how far the IRS will go.

Finding an expert in the tax-negotiating field is a good first step in fixing the problem. If your bookkeeper is a CPA they can do this for you or will know someone who can. If your problem isn’t handled right serious legal troubles are on the horizon.

Ensuring The Problem Is Solved In The Future

The next step in tax debt relief is planning for all future payments to be paid promptly and correctly. The government is willing to work with a taxpayer the first time but the same problem again the next year and the next year won’t get a sympathetic ear. So this problem must be handled properly. If you haven’t filed taxes in years or are seriously behind on your taxes it is imperative that you get the help you need NOW! Consequences can be huge and one of the best ways to make sure it doesn’t happen again is to have a CPA plan future payments. CPA’s might cost a little more up front, but once you’re accounts are all straightened out their ongoing maintenance fees are small compared to the fines you’ll incur by not doing your taxes at all!

Reference: http://positiveinsightsolutions.com/
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