IRS Debt Collections Tips and Tricks

Being an IRS debt collector for a living can’t be a fun job. Everyone thinks you are out to get them and everyone conspires to lie to you, defraud you, and do anything they can to throw you off from doing your job. To say that you get no respect is an understatement. If you have a date with IRS debt collections, you may want to take the following tips and tricks into account before your meeting. It could be the difference between dealing with someone willing to overlook a few small discrepancies and someone who is going to throw the book at you.

First, you can’t overemphasize the importance of simply being nice. Don’t be late to your meeting, don’t be loud or disrespectful to the collector at any time, and don’t come unprepared. Respond to all mailings in a timely manner and don’t play dumb when asked basic questions. If the audit you are having is in your home or at your business, do what you can to make the meeting as accommodating as possible. Be careful about going too far, however. You don’t want to give the impression that you are pandering or that you are trying to solicit an undue advantage with extreme niceties or bribery. Your kindness could backfire.

Having dealt with IRS debt collections on more than one occasion, I can tell you that it also pays to watch what you say. You never want to give a short or incomplete answer to a question asked during an audit, but you don’t need to volunteer any additional information. It could lead to a whole new line of questioning and an even higher tax bill. You aren’t lying by not volunteering everything that you know. It is up to them to ask; otherwise, you are fine keeping things to yourself.

If you need to, most IRS debt is eligible for an extension. If you have an audit coming up and you are missing a few pages of important paperwork, ask for an extension and explain why. If you think you can replace the lost paperwork in short order, go ahead and reschedule a new day for your audit. Dealing with IRS debt collections is serious business and you don’t want to go into the fight without all of your bullets in place. If you do, you are risking expense beyond what you actually owe.

Finally, do everything you can to be as honest as possible. The mistake that many people make is that they lied on their initial return and they now find themselves in an audit with the IRS. They then have to decide if they want to keep the original lie ongoing and risk getting into deeper trouble, or do the right thing and come clean, simply accepting the penalty for the initial lie. As difficult as it may be, option two is the better one. You don’t want to get into deeper trouble, especially with someone who is trained to tell when someone is lying. Honesty is the best policy.

Darrin T. Mish is a Nationally recognized Attorney whose practice focuses on representing clients across the United States with IRS Problems. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbel and is a member of the American Society of IRS Problem Solvers and the Tax Freedom Institute. He has been honored by a listing in Martindale-Hubbel's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. His passion is providing IRS help to taxpayers with both individual and payroll tax problems. He teaches attorneys, CPAs and Enrolled Agents in the finer aspects of IRS representation all around the United States. Visit his website at http://bradentontaxattorney.com.