![An IRS revenue officer ringing the doorbell on a home visit to a taxpayer's house.]()
After a tax balance is considered past due and after multiple attempts to contact the filer to resolve the unpaid balance, the IRS will often resort to revenue officers. These specially trained IRS employees are tasked with speaking with delinquent filers, either face-to-face or over the phone, in order to work out an arrangement to collect the past-due balance as quickly as possible.
IRS revenue officers often present themselves as flexible, but they do not hold your best interests in mind. They won’t, for example, examine your finances to uncover deductions or correct errors as a courtesy. It is up to you to argue if and when you think the assessed tax amount is incorrect. They may also not propose the fairest and most accommodating agreement to pay off your tax debt, nor will they always volunteer to resolve any penalties currently affecting you.
Put simply, an IRS revenue officer is there to collect on a debt.
While a revenue officer won’t look out for your legal and financial interests, Instant Tax Solutions will. We help filers prepare for revenue officer visits, and we can help represent them to revenue officers to negotiate the best arrangements possible.
If you are facing calls and mail from the IRS, and you are worried about an impending revenue officer visit, reach out to us to get help. Take the first steps towards financial peace of mind when you call (888) 886-5526 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation and case review.
Spokane IRS Tax Revenue Officer Negotiation
Anyone dealing with an IRS tax revenue officer may wonder: what, exactly, do they do?
According to a job listing on the IRS website, as a tax revenue officer, “you may be conducting research, interviews, investigations, analyzing financial statements and contacting third parties for information.” Importantly, the web page also emphasizes: “Your work will be performed on a case-by-case basis, each requiring a certain — and sometimes different — course of action. No two days will be alike.”
In other words, IRS tax revenue officers have a wide level of discretion for handling each filer’s account. They can take any approach they feel is appropriate and likely to help them collect.
What that means is that, depending on the officer you get, you may be dealing with different personalities or different tactics. All will pressure you — whether gently or assertively — to pay them as much as you can as soon as you can.
They will be unable to provide you with any advice when it comes to assessing your own taxes, auditing your accounts, or any other action that could make it seem like they’re giving a professional recommendation. If you take their words 100% at face value, you may even end up paying more than you actually owe — or that you may have to pay.
Instant Tax Solutions wants you to be equipped with your own professional advocate in this situation. Our experience handling IRS tax revenue officer negotiation means that we are prepared to handle the officer assigned to you, no matter how nice or mean they may seem.
We can present you with all of your options for settling the account, including when you may be able to reduce the amount you owe through an offer in compromise. Most importantly, Instant Tax Solutions’ professional accounting staff can look through your records in detail and determine exactly how much you should owe.
We can help you correct errors the IRS made. We can also help you see if you can reduce the amount you owe because of deductions, credits, or income reporting mistakes you missed when you first filed your return.
We are here to help fight back for you! So when you’re facing an IRS revenue officer visit, don’t get scared; get prepared!
Reach out to us to review your accounts, examine all your options, and help you reach the optimal outcome for your financial future.
When Can I Expect a Spokane IRS Revenue Home Visit?
One piece of good news for taxpayers: they no longer have to worry about an unannounced IRS revenue officer visit, in most cases.
As of the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2023, the IRS has ended its practice of routinely making unannounced visits to taxpayers who were delinquent and non-responsive to prior communications. Instead, they will likely send mailed letters requesting a scheduled meeting time.
Note that the IRS does reserve the right to still make unannounced visits at its sole discretion. However, it claims it will only use this tactic “in a few unique circumstances.”
What this change means is that most people can have a say in how and when the IRS eventually comes to visit. They will be able to prepare for the visit and can also attempt to resolve their tax obligations prior to the visit in order to avoid one altogether in some cases.
Typically, someone who is delinquent on taxes will receive several prior notices before the IRS attempts to schedule a field visit. They will receive multiple past-due notices, and they may also receive warnings about possible tax liens or tax levies.
By this point, if the balance remains unpaid, a request to visit becomes more likely.
An IRS revenue officer will only request to visit your home if it is the primary place where your accounting records are kept, including on your home computer. If you are a business owner, they may instead request to visit your primary office location.
They may also make arrangements to meet at the place of business of your accountant if that is where the majority of your financial records are kept.
The primary reason for visiting these locations is so the filer can have easy access to all of the needed records. A tax revenue officer is unlikely to demand to see records, although they may request that you voluntarily furnish them, especially if it is a form or piece of information that they have requested multiple times before.
They may also require records as a form of documentation to justify requests for acknowledging a hardship, for example, or suspending collections because the debt is “currently not collectible.”
IRS revenue agents are the employees who are more likely to demand that certain records be provided because they are the ones responsible for performing actual audits. An IRS special agent may be called, in extreme circumstances, in connection with any investigation for suspected criminal activity.
An IRS revenue officer, on the other hand, typically just wants to talk, push you toward a method of payment, and give you the chance to look over your options with the officer present. All that said, it is definitely in your own interests to consult with tax experts and to have access to someone who can help you negotiate and work out an agreement that is somewhat in your own favor.
How Can I Prepare for a Spokane IRS Revenue Officer Visit?
The last thing you want to do is be unprepared for the IRS revenue officer’s visit. Here are a number of steps you can take with the help of our experienced Spokane tax debt relief lawyers.
- Completely review your financial, tax, and accounting records over at least the past three years, preferably more. Be sure that you were accurate about your income and that you didn’t miss any deductions or credits.
- Get all of the above information organized and ready to present, especially if you are going to ask for an adjustment, file an amended return, or request some form of relief/leniency; IRS revenue officers ideally do not want to have to organize things for you or read through tall stacks of documents
- Go over your best options for resolving your tax debt, e.g., if you are going to request an installment plan, know the installment amount and how long it would take you to pay for the debt in full
- Prepare your own proposal that includes all penalty abatements and other forms of relief; the revenue officer may approach with their own offer, and you should be ready to counter it or set your own terms in as clear and well-documented of a way as possible
- BE ON TIME, and have all requested documentation ready
- Prepare to be patient but firm in your position and sticking up for your own rights; the officer’s priority is getting as much money as fast as possible, so be ready to set your own tempo and stick to your guns with your own offer
- Remember that negotiation is still the name of the game, so after all proposals are heard, be prepared to compromise with the optimal solution that they will agree to
- Always attempt to work with, not against, the officer, especially when trying to release or avoid things like levies and liens
- Know that you can sometimes appeal decisions as a last resort, but the IRS wants the revenue officer to handle as much of the negotiation and decision work as possible, so you may still have to deal with them even after going over their heads
- Generally, approach with the mindset of working towards a common goal of getting your tax debt resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible, albeit without giving in and paying more than you owe or that you realistically would need to pay
Get Help From Tax Professionals Who Know How to Deal With Revenue Officers
When it comes to reaching the best outcome for your financial future, you may need to handle IRS tax revenue officers with equal amounts of honey and vinegar. Be courteous, but don’t give into something that squeezes you beyond your realistic financial means.
While dealing with IRS officers, you want someone at your side who can help you make the most convincing proposal possible and who can help you avoid as many penalties as possible. Instant Tax Solutions has over a decade of experience assisting filers who are in collections by working to satisfy their revenue officer’s expectations while ultimately fighting for the best deal for them.
We can help you prepare for your visit or negotiations with IRS personnel. From reviewing your accounts to weighing your options to assembling all the documentation needed to justify your requests, we are ready to work hard and fight on your behalf.
Find out why so many of our clients have walked away satisfied when you call (888) 886-5526 or contact us online to schedule a free case and accounts review.
