FLAT FEE TAX SERVICE - FLAT FEE TAX RELIEF
Coast to Coast - IRS Help - Tax Debt Relief
San Diego, CA - New Port Richey, FL
866-747-7435 / 866-929-7010 fax
FLAT FEE TAX RELIEF
Coast to Coast - IRS Help
IRS Tax Relief - Tax Debt
1-866-747-7435
Filing For Innocent Spouse - Injured Spouse
It is a common practice for a married couple to file joint a tax return, primarily because filing jointly (together) provides certain tax benefits. However, by filing together, both individuals risk later being held legally responsible for the entire amount even if the couple goes through a divorce or if one spouse earned most of the income.
If you are now divorced, the IRS does not care what your divorce decree states. The IRS is not going to be involved in anyone's marital problems. That is between you and your spouse. Now, for the "Good News."
Fortunately, in some but not all cases, spouses can get a certain measure of tax debt help by applying for Innocent Spouse relief. There are specific deadlines for filing for Innocent Spouse help, so if you filed a joint tax return with your former spouse, it is important to retain the services of an experienced tax professional who can help ensure that your application is completed and submitted on time.
Obtaining an Innocent Spouse is extremely difficult. It may be infinitely easier to obtain a tax settlement through an Offer in Compromise.
Basic Innocent Spouse Relief
There are three types of Innocent Spouse (Injured Spouse) tax relief. A person may be eligible for relief if the applicant’s spouse or former spouse:
1. Failed to report income;
2. Reported income improperly; or
3. Claimed improper deductions or credits.
To qualify for an Injured Spouse application, an applicant must satisfy a series of requirements, including:
1. He or she filed a joint return;
2. The tax return had a tax deficiency that is attributable to an error made by the applicant’s spouse;
3. The applicant can demonstrate that when he or she signed the joint return, the applicant did not know of the deficiency; and
4. Based on all the facts and circumstances, it would be unfair to hold the applicant liable for the tax deficiency.
If these IRS requirements for Innocent Spouse are met, an applicant must submit a request by completing Form 8857 and filing it with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Alternatively, applicants can submit a signed and written statement that contains the same information found on Form 8857.
Once the form is submitted, the IRS must notify the applicant’s spouse of the request, which allows him or her the opportunity of providing additional information.
Finally, a request for innocent spouse relief must be filed within two years of the date that the IRS made its first attempt to collect the tax debt or the applicant will be barred from obtaining relief from the tax debt.
ONCE AGAIN: RECEIVING INNOCENT SPOUSE RELIEF IS ALWAYS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU TRY
TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN.
IT MAY BE MUCH MUCH EASIER FOR YOU, THE INJURED SPOUSE, TO SETTLE THEIR TAX LIABILITY WITH AN OFFER IN COMPROMISE.
Owing delinquent tax debt to the IRS can have financial as well as emotionally devastating consequences for taxpayers. A tax levy (wage garnishment), seizure of bank accounts (bank levy), and the placing of tax liens on real property can be the result of tax debt. IRS penalties and interest will accumulate rapidly, driving taxpayers further and further into tax debt, so if you are being investigated by the IRS, it is vital to contact a dedicated. experienced tax pro with a proven track record who can help protect you from IRS enforcement.