Don't run from your income tax woes

Running from the IRS is like the postman running from a big dog. You can run, but eventually it will catch up to you and bite you on the leg.But it doesn't have to be that way. Michael Brewster, certified tax professional and author of the book "The Ultimate Straight Shooters Guide to Negotiation with the IRS to Resolve Your Problems," advocates being proactive about your tax problems. "The more you run from the IRS, the worse it could be for you in both the short-term and the long-term," he said. "The IRS can take your house, it can garnish your wages, and it can make it impossible for you to maintain your standard of living. Dealing with them, however, can save you money and make your life a lot easier." Learning and understanding what options are available to resolve a tax matter with the IRS is as critical as having a health plan or maintaining a steady job. It allows people to find and communicate with the necessary help to resolve their tax matter, according to Brewster. "To deal with the IRS, the taxpayer must have an understanding of what options are available," he said. "If they do not have this understanding and/or seek the necessary help, they will pay more than they need not to mention the stress they will endure." Brewster also believes that now is a vital time to address this issue, because the government is going into overdrive to collect money owed by tax dodgers. "The economy is down," Brewster said. "People are losing jobs. They do not have the funds available to pay off back taxes owed. However, the government is in bail-out mode, and needs to borrow trillions to offset those costs. In addition, Congress is passing massive tax cuts, so the IRS is trying to collect back taxes from citizens at record speed to help offset the country's current expenses." One of the more serious issues is the implied promises made by the large chain tax preparers who spend billions in TV ads touting their services. Tax preparers in the various franchises are typically not credentialed to be able to represent taxpayers. They can only assist with specific matters on the returns that they personally prepared. "People are told via various commercials that they can resolve their tax problems for pennies on the dollar," he said. "They do not learn until it is too late that they did not qualify for the program and they still owe the entire tax amount. The taxpayers also end up paying much more than they should have." Michael Brewster began his career when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, continuing into the military space programs. He has a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, and has attended the American Academy of Tax Practice where he focused on Advanced Tax Law and IRS Procedure.

********** Published: April 17, 2009 - Volume 7 - Issue 52