By claiming the Child Tax Credit (CTC), you can reduce the amount of money you owe on your federal taxes. The amount of credit you receive is based on your income and the number of qualifying children you are claiming.

We offer a free review of tax cases to help you learn more about the IRS Fresh Start Program.

Our experienced attorneys will review your criminal history and seek all appropriate methods of relief for you. In order to best advise you on your record relief options, we will obtain a copy of your California Department of Justice Criminal History Report and potentially other court records on your behalf at no cost to you. Click here for general information on the Fresh Start process.

Advertisements about "settling tax debt for pennies per dollar" usually refer to the process of applying to an IRS offer of compromise (or OIC), which is an IRS program that helps people pay at most some of their tax debt. However, statistically speaking, chances of receiving an IRS offer in compromise is very low. The IRS actually accepted 15,154 of the 49,285 offers in 2021. Internal Revenue Service. 2021 Internal Revenue Service Databook: Collection Activities Penalties and Appeals. Accessed August 25, 2022. View all sources

You may be eligible for Child Tax Credit payments even if you have not filed taxes recently. Not everyone is required to file taxes. While the deadline to sign up for monthly Child Tax Credit payments this year was November 15, you can still claim the full credit of up to $3,600 per child by filing a tax return next year.

You must send the first payment with your application (in addition to the application fee). This money is nonrefundable, even if the IRS rejects your offer (the IRS will just apply it toward your tax bill).

What if you determine the offer amount required by calculating the net realizable value of your assets and your available future income, and the result is well beyond your ability to pay? Consider making an offer anyway (assuming you aren't worried about the IRS grabbing any assets you didn't reveal). IRS personnel have some leeway to accept less money than is required under the effective tax administration (ETA) exception to the OIC rules.

Yes! The IRS and taxpayers both benefit from the Fresh Start initiative. The IRS wins, as they'll be paid some form of payment and not just being ghosted. The IRS will win because the taxpayer won't be subject to levies, garnishments, wages, criminal penalties or fines.

Because of its flexibility, the IRS Fresh Start Program can be a great option for tax offenders who are not intentionally tax offenders. The program is not without its benefits. However, there are still myths surrounding its capabilities.

An IRS Fresh Start Offer in Compromise (or OIC), is an agreement that allows taxpayers resolve tax debts for less than their full amount. It is the best Fresh Start tax relief possible through the Fresh Start Initiative. While an Offer in Compromise is the best way to reduce tax debt through the Fresh Start Program, it does have some limitations. This option is reserved for taxpayers who have difficulty paying their federal tax bills. The OIC program is very strict and not everyone who owes the IRS thousands of dollars will be eligible. With a certified tax relief firm on your side, your chances for obtaining an Offer In Compromise will increase dramatically. Tax experts are skilled in understanding the IRS Fresh Start Program qualifications and will not allow the IRS to pressure or trick you into a less than ideal solution. For more information on how to avoid tax relief scams, please see our "How to Avoid'' section. This will help you to stay clear of fraudulent tax resolution firms when searching for professional tax relief representation. These companies will promise you an OIC but without first analyzing your tax situation and preparing all necessary forms for the IRS. Only the IRS can accept an Offer in Compromise. The right tax relief company should be transparent about the process, have experience in negotiating and getting results on behalf of their clients and will focus their strategies on you and your financial requirements.

There's another drawback to submitting an OIC. If your OIC is rejected, the disclosures you made about your assets give the IRS all the information it needs to accelerate its collection efforts against you. For this reason, it makes sense not to submit an offer unless it is likely to be accepted.

We know what you’re thinking—this Fresh Start Program seems too good to be true! The good news is that the IRS program is 100% legitimate.