Houston Wage Garnishments

Having a bank levy from the federal government or state agencies placed against you can paralyze your finances. A bank levy may occur if you do not to pay your income taxes or have an outstanding balance from past tax seasons. It is important to act quickly if you are unable to pay your taxes in full. The IRS or state authorities will aggressively pursue full payment from you, including seizing income or your bank account.

If you are financially unable to pay your taxes, it is imperative to hire a qualified tax firm to contact the IRS on your behalf before adverse action begins. A knowledgeable firm will advise you of your rights and what to do to avoid having any judgments taken out against you.

What can they legally do regarding my bank accounts?

It is completely legal for the IRS to proceed with taking money from your bank account, and freezing your assets until full payment is received. They are not required by law to inform you of this action prior to the judgment. There are a few options that we can talk about that could potentially stop this type of seizure:

• Proving financial hardship
• Negotiating a payment agreement
• Offer In Compromise

Because most people are intimidated by the IRS, they delay resolution putting them at greater financial risk. You need a tax professional to represent you. There will be missed opportunities and increased expense if you attempt to deal with the IRS by yourself. Your credit and assets will be protected!

How can I get my money back?

The bank garnishment can be placed on any type of bank account whether it is savings or checking. The seized money in the account is frozen by the government and confiscated to pay off the outstanding tax debt. If adequate funds are not available, the bank account is put into suspension until the remaining balance is paid. Funds exempt from one of these are:

• Child support
• Disability payments
• Social Security payments
• Veterans pension

All other funds in the account are up for grabs. It is common practice for the IRS or state agencies to collect outstanding tax debts via the bank account seizure process. Under most state laws, if you disagree with this, you can file for a notice to contest the seizure. Without the help of a tax attorney you can miss the 30-day deadline to contest.

Your rights and resolution

Any outstanding monetary transactions made prior to the bank garnishment are not valid and will not be honored. Your bank is required to return them for “Frozen Account” or “Non-sufficient Funds”. When anyone tries to garnish your bank account without your knowledge the bank fees snowball and your financial integrity declines. To protect yourself before your bank account is levied, please give us a call to discuss what options you have.

Before going up against the government to try and have your penalty released, here are a few pieces of information that your representative will need to have:

• A power of attorney form
• Personal information
• Monthly personal/household/business expense report
• Any credit card information
• A payment authorization form
• A copy of the notice of seizure if there is one
• A copy of your most recent paychecks with year-to-date earnings included and any bank
• account information.

Once you have provided your tax specialist with the information stated above, then they can begin to converse with the IRS on your behalf.

By forwarding this information in its entirety, you will allow your specialist to begin working on your case. Any omission of information can and will result in a delay and time is money in any instance involving the IRS.

Failure to comply and be forthcoming is only going to result in delays on both ends and will prolong your release being processed. There is some other information you must provide in the event it is needed and this may be a copy of a divorce decree (if applicable), proof of paying child support and the amount being paid (usually three months records is all that is required), medical expenses if they exceed a certain amount, as well as any other information needed to verify validity of monthly expenses.

There are many effective actions you can take to avoid having an IRS wage garnishment placed on your accounts. Delaying action or ignoring the letters and notices they send is the worst thing you can do. To avoid irreparable damage to your credit and financial integrity, it is extremely important to do your best to pay your tax bills on time. If you are financially unable to meet your obligations, it is imperative that your creditors are contacted to make alternate arrangements.

Pay immediate attention to the notices and letter

You will receive prior IRS notices of intent informing you of the amount you owe possible options for resolution, and the time limit in which you must respond before the action occurs. If you ignore this notice and fail to respond, the government will quickly take action to seize your income.

Once you begin to receive IRS collection letters, you become subject to a potential seizure. You have the right to request a hearing on this matter. At this hearing, evidence will be presented by both sides and a judge will determine the amount of your wages to be taken. Considering your taxable income and number of dependents, you can expect to have a significant portion of your paychecks garnished until the amount is paid off.

What you do not know can affect your future

If you intend to buy a home or go to college at some point in the future, your credit rating should be of the utmost importance. Having an IRS wage garnishment will affect your ability to secure loans to finance your dreams. It will hamper your ability to support yourself and will attach a stigma that will follow you everywhere. It is difficult to recover financially with a history with one of these in it.

Saving time and money

Hiring a tax attorney is a prudent investment. When you handle tax problems alone and unprepared, it opens the door to escalating penalties and fines. You should not delay until your income being taken becomes a reality.

What can I do before my wages are taken?

If you have exhausted all the avenues available and you find an IRS wage garnishment is pending against you, then it is a smart decision to enlist the assistance of a tax specialist. There are many different types of IRS wage garnishments, and if you are unfamiliar with your rights and responsibilities then you may find turning to a tax specialist is a good alternative than trying to go it alone. You will find that you can get much further having an educated advocate on your side and this will save you time, money and countless hours of frustration.

If you have had an IRS wage garnishment placed on your income or accounts, the best course of action you can possibly take is to get in contact with us to know what your wage garnishment relief options are. This is an area of law that we are well versed in, and work with every single day, so really know how to approach an issue like this.

Taking Care of It Yourself

Many people are tempted to try and take care of it themselves, which is completely possible if you know what you are doing. Just like you can re-wire and re-plumb your house by yourself, tax problems can be taken care of by any individual. But if you want your problem handled by someone with some experience who will handle things right, you will want to get in contact with us. We will do the job right the first time, and get you the IRS wage garnishment help you need.

You do not have to face the stigma and embarrassment

These types of penalties are quite common and will continue until the entire debt has been repaid to the creditor. They can have a very profound effect on your future and can prohibit you from obtaining loans for a home or college, opening a bank account, as well as the damage done to your reputation and the embarrassment and stigma that are attached.

What happens if I have a refund coming?

In the event you are owed a refund this year, the amount will be seized and applied to the remaining balance of the prior tax season.

Everyone has faced financial hardships, but you do not have to deal with it alone. You need not suffer the aggressive and intimidating tactics of the IRS. It is imperative to have a knowledgeable tax attorney protecting your best interests.

How much money can they take from me?

Federal laws require that only a certain amount of income may be withheld in a certain pay period. The figures set up are as follows:

• A percentage of the employees after tax income or the amount by which the after tax income is thirty times more than the federal minimum wage
• Minimum wage standards vary state by state and the weekly amount cannot go over these two figures.

This figure is based upon a person who receives a weekly pay check, however, if you are paid bi-weekly or monthly, then the amount will be recalculated and based upon that information.

Can I contest it or do I have to accept it?

As with any federal laws, there are exceptions as to what income is taxable or not and you have rights to contest withholding of certain types of income. This income is as follows but not limited to the following: child support, veterans pay, government pension payments, unemployment benefits, public aid, funds in a community or joint account shared with others including a spouse, and various other types of income provided to you by the state. In order to protect this income from being taken, you will need to consult with a tax professional and have them file a document with the courts within 28 days of receiving your IRS wage garnishment notice.

What else can the IRS do besides take payroll wages?

It is important to note that if you owe money to the IRS, you need to do the best you can to settle it; otherwise the IRS may garnish your wages or levy your bank account. Federal laws not only protect you as a consumer, but also protect the IRS and state agencies. You may be able to avoid legal action being taken by contacting the IRS and working with them to come to some type of agreement, thus avoiding IRS wage garnishments or bank levies altogether. It should be noted that the IRS has a limited amount of time to collect an outstanding tax debt. Certain taxpayer actions may extent the statute of limitations and allow the IRS more time to collect. You must be aware the IRS will continue to seek withholdings until the debt is paid in full. There are no laws around that are going to protect you if you run and try to hide from the IRS, so it’s best to face it head on and be prepared.

What if I have outstanding income tax debt?

If you have failed to file additional income taxes in the recent past, this will also need to be addressed by your tax specialist. This information is also relevant to your IRS wage garnishment relief and is detrimental to your situation. Your tax specialist will assist you in getting the appropriate returns and forms filed in a timely manner. This will allow your tax professional to proceed with your release, without this being done you cannot move forward. There are some tax specialists who only deal with the processing of wage garnishment relief and they can prove invaluable to you when dealing with the IRS in these matters.

What happens to my credit rating if my wages are seized?

Chances are that if your wages are seized by the government, your credit rating will go down. Not only does your outstanding debt amount go up, but with a negative event like this on your record, credit agencies definitely dock points on your credit rating.

How can I prevent my credit from being ruined?

It matters which avenue you pursue when trying to come to a wage garnishment relief solution to your tax problem. With the combined penalties and interest added to your outstanding balance, you will find yourself drowning in a sea of debt. Many taxpayers delay seeking IRS wage garnishment help until it is too late. Protect your financial future and hire a tax professional to help you stop an IRS wage levy. In most cases, your problems can be resolved with little difficulty. Your peace of mind will be restored.

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