Tax Tips: Dealing with the IRS
Published at | Updated at
Marc Norman/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Got beef with the Internal Revenue Service? There are ways to deal with it.
First and foremost, you don’t want to ignore the agency when it comes knocking.
“Absolutely don’t file this in the file drawer, don’t put it in the bag for your accountant to look at in 12 months. You definitely want to take the bull by the horns, and deal with the IRS immediately,” tax accountant Janice Hayman tells ABC News Radio.
She says to be honest with the IRS if you can’t pay your taxes. And if there is a question with your return, “let them know that you are in the middle of investigating it and more time can be granted for resolving your case,” Hayman adds.
The government has also set up a Taxpayer Advocate Service, which can serve as a conduit between you and the IRS. In the 2012 tax season, the service worked on 220,000 cases and provided at least some relief to taxpayers in 77 percent of the cases it closed.
You can learn more about it at www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio