DEALING WITH IRS APPEALS

If you have been experiencing IRS Problems you may have reasons to consider appealing a decision made by the IRS if you disagree with the outcome of any of the following:

• Tax audit results

• Penalties assessed

• Interest accrued

• Tax lien placement

• Tax levy placement

• Asset seizures

• Offer in Compromise rejections

If you have been the recipient of one of the above actions, you should receive a notice from the IRS letting you know that you have the right to appeal an IRS decision. If you do not agree with the IRS then do not sign the agreement form that is sent to you. Your next step is to request an appeals hearing.

Do not consider an appeals hearing if you owe the IRS money but cannot afford to pay the bill. If the notice you receive from the IRS is an actual bill there may not be mention of the possibility of appeals.

Be prepared to show your reasons for disagreeing with the IRS decision. You will need to be able to back up your reasons with documentation.

Read the notice to find out how to prepare your request for an appeal, where to mail the request, the deadline for receipt of the request, and what information should be included with the request.

It should be noted that filing a request for appeal does not stop the interest and penalties from accruing on your bill.

Appeals hearings can be done in an informal manner, by correspondence, by telephone, or in person. You will be happy to hear that most disagreements with the IRS are settled in appeals.

The type of case you are appealing and how long it takes the IRS to review the file will determine how long it will be before your case goes to Appeals. A typical time frame for hearing from the IRS is approximately 90 days after you have filed your request. You should contact the office you sent your request for appeal to if you have not heard from the IRS after 90 days. They will be able to tell you the date your appeal was forwarded. The 90 days time frame will start from that date.