When you have to deal with the IRS for any reason, it’s very easy to be nervous, frustrated or simply confused because you don’t know how to proceed. The word “IRS” alone elicits fear in many people or makes them cringe because, as you can imagine, very few people have pleasant or positive experiences when dealing with the government’s tax representatives.
A very complicated and intricate set of tax laws have been created and are imbedded in the tax code that every American needs to abide by when it comes to paying taxes. The IRS knows every aspect of this code, every nuance, every detail – that’s their job. When the average taxpayer has to deal with the IRS for any reason, whether due to an audit, an inability to meet their tax obligations or in order to negotiate a resolution so they can reach a tax settlement, the taxpayer is at a huge disadvantage because they simply don’t have that arsenal of knowledge and experience behind them.
That’s where we come in!
When you have to deal with the IRS for any reason, our tax professionals are experienced in handling all aspects of tax preparation, tax negotiation and tax resolution so that you don’t have to be at such a disadvantage. We know just what to say, just what to do and just what kinds of documentation need to be prepared to help you obtain the best possible outcomes when dealing with the IRS.
Tips For Dealing With The IRS
When dealing with the IRS, whether because you have to respond to an audit request, cannot make your payments or want to negotiate a tax settlement, we recommend that you contact a professional tax company like People’s Tax Relief for advice and/or representation. Additionally, here are some tips we suggest when dealing with the IRS or a representative of your state tax authority:
- Stay calm – We understand your first instinct is to be nervous when dealing with the IRS, even if you haven’t done anything wrong, but it’s important to stay calm. If you are nervous, you risk either saying or doing the wrong thing or giving the impression that you have done something wrong or have something to hide.
- Always respond quickly – When you receive a letter or notice from the IRS, the best thing you can do is to respond to it quickly. Ignoring it will not make it go away and will also put you in a more difficult situation than you may already be in. Very often, the request being made is just a simple one and requires just a simple response. But even if it is something more elaborate and you need advice or representation, you should still not put off responding as quickly as possible.
- Be pleasant – We know that you might not think that IRS representatives are very pleasant to deal with, but you are best off remaining as pleasant and friendly as you can. The more confrontational or combative you are, the less likely they will be to work with you or negotiate with you. Yes, it’s not fair, but they definitely hold the balance of power, so you might as well give them a reason to want to work with you.
- Be patient – The IRS is a government agency and is very detail oriented, repetitive and yes, we said it, slow. It can be frustrating to deal with the agency’s representatives because they don’t operate with the same sense of urgency that you may be used to in your day-to-day life, but just learn to be patient and try not to make any waves while you wait, no matter how frustrating it may be.
- Verify who you’re talking to – You should always make sure you know the name and ID number of the person you are communicating with. For one, you want to make sure that you are dealing with an authorized IRS agent and not someone that is trying to obtain your personal and sensitive information. Additionally, you’ll want to know who you spoke to previously if you run into any issues or need to get in touch with someone again about a matter that you have already discussed.
Need To Deal With The IRS? Contact Us Today!
If you need to deal with the IRS for any reason, call People’s Tax Relief for a free, no-obligation tax consultation at 866-788-8069 or fill out the form on the side of this page and one of our experienced tax specialists will contact you. We can provide you with advice on how to proceed with anything from tax preparation to tax resolution.