Use this publication before you hire anyone to help you handle your IRS debt. This is a tool scammers don't want you to see. Written by a licensed attorney who routinely deals with the IRS, this arms you with some of the same questions that a legitimate tax professional would ask you to determine whether you can qualify for the IRS Offer in Compromise program. A licensed tax professional is not going to waste their time or your money on IRS programs for which you don't qualify. Scammers won't hesitate to waste your money, and their time, because they just want to collect a commission from you. Think about it: if it was as easy as the ads make it sound to get the IRS to agree to "pennies on the dollar" settlements or "reduce your taxes now", the professions of tax attorney, C.P.A., and enrolled agent would have become extinct with the horse and buggy a long time ago because anyone could do it! This publication can help you review your situation in the privacy of your home by answering less than a dozen questions. It gives you some of the same questions a licensed attorney would ask if he or she was looking to preliminarily determine whether the OIC could be a realistic solution for your tax debt. After you answer the questions, take your results, and decide what the next steps will be for dealing with the IRS, by consulting with a licensed attorney, C.P.A. or enrolled agent.
