Hardship Status & Hardship Taxes Help
If you owe the IRS and can’t pay taxes due to hardship, call Fresh Start Tax at
to see if you qualify for Hardship Status.
The Internal Revenue Service has a provision in the Internal Revenue Manuel Section 5.16.1.2 that allows for individuals or companies that are going through a current hardship to suspend their cases and put them in a currently noncollectable file.
Many people are completely unaware that IRS has a procedure called “hardship status”.
About 50% of taxpayers that have IRS tax problems do not have the ability to pay the tax because of their current financial circumstances. If you are going through a hardship in your life, call Fresh Start Tax today and we can help put your IRS problem behind you.
Conditions for a Hardship Status
IRS will place a case in Hardship Status if the information found on the form 433A or 433F Collection Information Statement finds that the taxpayer is unable to pay basic living expenses. In addition, the taxpayer will have little or no equity in their assets.
With more and more homeowners in foreclosure, people losing their jobs and all the other economic problems, IRS is now taking into consideration these factors and placing more cases in a noncollectable status.
Also, if the only source of income is social security and you have excessive medical bills, the government will be quick to act in granting a hardship.
Economic Hardship as defined by the Internal Revenue Service
Everyone has their own definition of what an economic hardship might be in their own situation. When you have an IRS problem, the Internal Revenue Service has it’s own definition of an economic hardship.
Below, is the standard that the IRS will use to determine ECONOMIC HARDSHIP.
The standard has been a problem area for practitioners and taxpayers over the years.
The IRS very rarely deviates from their Economic Hardship standard. This is from irs.gov made available to our client base.
SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP
When the taxpayer’s liability can be collected in full, but collection of the federal tax would create an economic hardship, the IRS will consider all facts before taking collection action or enforcement action such as federal tax liens or federal tax levies.
The definition of economic hardship is derived from Treasury Regulations § 301.6343-1. An Economic hardship occurs when a taxpayer is unable to pay reasonable basic living expenses.
The determination of a reasonable amount for basic living expenses will be made by the Internal Revenue Service and will vary according to the unique circumstances of every individual taxpayer.
Unique circumstances, however, do not include the maintenance of an affluent or luxurious standard of living. The IRS in accordance with the United States Departmental of Labor have set up platforms to determine these hardship and living standards.
These standards are also being used by the United States Department of Justice in the normal course of U.S. bankruptcy proceedings.
Because economic hardship is defined as the inability to meet reasonable basic living expenses, it applies only to individuals (including sole proprietorship entities).
Compromise on economic hardship grounds is not available to corporations, partnerships, or other non-individual entities.
The taxpayer’s financial information and special circumstances must be examined and fully documented to determine if they qualify for an economic hardship.
Financial analysis includes reviewing basic living expenses as well as other considerations. The IRS may go back for the last 3 years, examine all canceled checks and will complete a full asset check.
They will examine credit reports and loan applications and sale of assets for the last 3 years. The IRS will also look to see if the taxpayer has placed assets beyond the IRS’ reach.
The taxpayer’s income and basic living expenses must be considered to determine if the claim for economic hardship should be accepted. Basic living expenses are those expenses that provide for health, welfare, and production of income of the taxpayer and the taxpayers family.
National and local standard expense amounts are designed to provide accuracy and consistency in determining taxpayers basic living expenses. These standards are guidelines and if it is determined that a standard amount is inadequate to provide for a specific taxpayers basic living expenses, allow for some change.
A check on our website can explain this more fully.
The IRS will require the taxpayer to provide reasonable substantiation and document the case file. A 433-A financial statement is required by Internal Revenue Service on all these cases.
In addition to the basic living expenses, other factors to consider that have impact upon the taxpayers financial condition include:
a. The taxpayers age and employment status,
b. Number, age, and health of the taxpayers dependents,
c. Cost of living in the area the taxpayer resides, and
d. Any extraordinary circumstances such as special education expenses or natural disaster.
e. Medical situations that have effected the life of the taxpayer or others in his family.
f. The education of the taxpayer is sometimes considered as well.
g. This list is not all-inclusive. Other factors may be considered in making an economic hardship determination.
Factors that support an economic hardship determination may include:
The taxpayer is incapable of earning a living because of a long-term illness, medical condition or disability, and it is reasonably foreseeable that the financial resources will be exhausted providing for care and support during the course of the condition.
The taxpayer may have a set monthly income and no other means of support and the income is exhausted each month in providing for the care of dependents.
The taxpayer has assets, but is unable to borrow against the equity in those assets, and liquidation to pay the outstanding tax liabilities would render the taxpayer unable to meet basic living expenses.
Someone in the immediate family of the taxpayer has been hit with a catastrophe.
An act of God causing an unforeseen occurrence.
Remember, each situation is different and each and every case is based on its own merit. No two cases are ever the same.
Do I Qualify For Hardship Status?
How to apply for Hardship Status
The first thing you should do is call Fresh Start Tax to make sure you qualify. Be careful if you chose to contact the IRS directly as all information you provide will be used to attempt to collect the tax due. You could expose yourself to more problems than you bargained for. A professional at Fresh Start Tax can go over the required forms necessary to make sure you receive a Hardship Status if you qualify. These forms include the 433A or 433F Information Collection Statements along with full supporting documentation. Also, all your tax returns must be filed. The IRS will not review your case for Hardship Status until all returns are filed.
Why use Fresh Start Tax
Fresh Start Tax is composed of Attorney’s, CPA’s, Enrolled Agents and former IRS agents who know how to navigate through the system. We will complete a thorough review of your case and be able to tell you how the IRS will deal with your case. Each case has unique features and there is no general rule on how to resolve your case. If successful, IRS will probably suspend your case for a period of 3 years, but penalties and interest will continue to accrue.
This Hardship Status is also known as the Noncollectable Status by the Internal Revenue Service. When your case is placed in this status IRS will not send out a Federal Tax Levy on your bank account or a tax levy on your wages. However, the IRS will still file a Federal Tax Lien on the back taxes. IRS does not want the public to be aware of the program and many times insist on a small payment so the agent looks like they are doing their job. However, if you qualify, the IRS has to place your case in Noncollectable Status.
Questions on Hardship Status – Feel free to email us a question!
If IRS filed a substitute tax return for you, we can help!
National Standards used by Internal Revenue Service on ALL cases
