Guides
Plain-English guides to IRS letters and deadlines
Reviewed by Jorge Fernandez, CPA, and built from the questions he hears on introductory calls. Each guide answers one question, tells you what to do this week, and says plainly what depends on your facts.
All guides
I received an IRS CP504 notice. What happens next?
A CP504 means the IRS has sent you several bills, has not received full payment, and is now telling you it intends to levy your state tax refund and may go after other assets.
Read the guide →IRS bank levy: how it works and how to get it released
A bank levy reaches the money that is in your account on the day the bank receives it, and the bank holds that money for 21 days before sending it to the IRS.
Read the guide →Can the IRS take my house in Florida?
The IRS can place a lien on a Florida homestead, and it can in theory seize a primary residence, but seizing a home requires a federal judge's approval and happens very rarely.
Read the guide →Offer in compromise: who qualifies and how the IRS decides
An offer in compromise lets you settle a tax balance for less than the full amount, on one of three grounds the IRS accepts.
Read the guide →First-time penalty abatement and the IRS Automatic Exemption from Penalty
The IRS waives failure-to-file, failure-to-pay and failure-to-deposit penalties for taxpayers with three prior years of timely compliance.
Read the guide →Have not filed taxes in years? Here is where to start
If you have not filed in years, start by confirming which years you must file, based on your filing requirements, your IRS records and any notices you received.
Read the guide →Payroll taxes behind: the trust fund recovery penalty explained
The income tax and Social Security and Medicare amounts withheld from employees' pay belong to the government from the moment they are withheld.
Read the guide →What an IRS tax lien actually does, and how to get it released or withdrawn
A federal tax lien is a legal claim against your property for unpaid taxes.
Read the guide →Every guide is general information, not advice on your file.
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