Gathering all of the necessary documentation to file income taxes every year can seem like a daunting task. Coming to the realization that you owe more to the Internal Revenue Service than originally thought makes the situation even more onerous, especially if the tax burden is unaffordable. In this situation, a person may have to make very difficult decisions.
According to tax observers, it may not be best to avoid the full tax burden. Those who fail to pay the full amount of their tax bill to the IRS could have a federal tax lien attached to their property. Failing to respond to the lien could cause a person to lose his or her home, as the IRS will resort to extreme measures to recoup a supposed tax debt.
When a person recognizes that it may not be possible to pay the IRS bill at tax time, it may be helpful to take action. Rather than waiting and accepting potentially serious consequences, there may be options available to resolve an outstanding balance. By making an arrangement with tax officials, the potentially damaging situation could be put to rest.
Of course, certain situations may arise in which a person receives a notice of a tax lien without being able to anticipate it. In this scenario, there may also be solutions. Again, the important aspect of this situation is to act. The IRS will undoubtedly be forceful about pursuing alleged tax debts, so a thoughtful response may be needed to move forward.
Source: MainStreet.com, “The IRS Can Seize Your Salary or File a Federal Tax Lien Against Your Property,” Ellen Chang, March 5, 2014
