A common question that many of our prospects ask us is what to do in the situation where the IRS is threatening collections against you for tax debt that accrued while married? Many of these people state that they had no idea that there was a tax debt issue, their previous spouse always prepared their returns and did the finances of the house, and now they feel anxious and fearful of IRS collections even though they were in the dark the whole time.
The answer to these similar questions comes in the form of an Innocent Spouse relief. The IRS has created a category of debtors who owe tax debt as a joint couple, but where one spouse is not liable based upon the facts of the situation and an equitable argument. There are many subcategories and different criteria to be met under the banner of the Innocent Spouse, but if you do qualify for this type of relief, the tax debt is removed from your name and social. That means that instead of you owing the debt, the whole balance is transferred to the liable spouse.
How do you know if you qualify?
As is stated above, there are many subcategories and criteria to be met in each to see if you do qualify for relief, but some good indicators are as follows:
- You are now divorced, widowed, or legally separated
- You did not handle much of the finances of the home
- You were minimally involved in the preparation of tax returns
- You were unaware of any extra sources of income your ex was making
- You were unaware of any tax debt issues
- You did not receive notice from the IRS of tax issues until recently
If some, or all of these criteria are met, you may qualify for relief under the banner of Innocent Spouse.
I think I may qualify, now what?
If you believe any of the following may sound like you, the best step is to speak to a professional for them to hear your story, make a determination of what your options are, and then seek the relief. Many tax resolution companies do not look for this during initial conversations, so be sure to seek a company that is looking to listen to you and your story, not just interested in earning a profit. Contact us at 619-352-4188 and let our professionals get to work for you.