Recent Articles
Kwong v. United States Appeal: What the September 2026 Government Brief Means for Your COVID-Era IRS Penalties
Quick Answer: Kwong v. United States held that COVID-19 disaster relief postponed federal tax deadlines from January 20, 2020, through July 10, 2023, which could wipe out many penalties and interest from that period. The government appealed, and on September 16, 2026,...
Your Rights When the IRS or a Private Debt Collector Contacts You
Quick Answer: Under IRC §6304, IRS collectors generally cannot contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., at work if your employer forbids it, or directly if you have an authorized representative. They cannot harass or abuse you. A September 2026 Treasury watchdog...
How to Tell a Real Settlement From an “OIC Mill”
Quick Answer: The IRS accepted 5,464 of 38,797 Offers in Compromise in fiscal year 2025, about 14%, according to the IRS Data Book. That is down from about 21% in 2024 and about 42% in 2023. An offer works only if it matches what the IRS calculates it could collect...
Filed an Extension but Can’t Pay?
Quick Answer: File your return by October 15, 2026, even if you can't pay. An extension only gave you more time to file, not to pay, so interest at 7% and a 0.5% monthly late-payment penalty have run since April 15. Missing October 15 adds a failure-to-file penalty of...
A CSED-First Framework for 2026
Quick Answer: The right IRS resolution strategy depends less on your balance and more on your Collection Statute Expiration Date (CSED) — generally 10 years from assessment under IRC §6502. A debt near expiration is often handled differently than one from last year,...
The IRS Collection Tools Most Taxpayers Don’t See Coming
Quick Answer: Beyond a bank levy, the IRS has tools many taxpayers don't expect: a federal tax lien attaching to everything you own (IRC §6321), levies reaching retirement accounts and up to 15% of monthly Social Security, and passport certification under IRC §7345...