Frequently Asked Questions

Tax resolution is the process of negotiating with the IRS to settle, reduce, or restructure a tax debt you cannot fully pay. The IRS offers several legal programs — including settlement agreements, payment plans, penalty reductions, and hardship status — that can dramatically reduce what you owe or make your debt manageable. An experienced tax attorney analyzes your complete financial and tax situation, identifies every option you qualify for under current law, and then negotiates directly with the IRS on your behalf. Most clients never have to speak with the IRS at all once they hire representation.

If you owe back taxes, have unfiled returns, received an IRS notice threatening a levy or garnishment, or are under audit, you need an attorney — not a tax preparer. Here is the critical difference: communications with an attorney are protected by attorney-client privilege. Everything you tell us is confidential and cannot be used against you. A CPA or enrolled agent does not have this protection. Additionally, if your case escalates to Tax Court or requires litigation, only a licensed attorney can represent you. We regularly handle cases that other tax professionals have been unable to resolve.

Ignoring IRS notices is one of the most costly mistakes a taxpayer can make. The IRS follows a strict escalation process — each unanswered notice brings you closer to enforced collection. Once the IRS issues a Final Notice of Intent to Levy, you have only 30 days to respond before they can legally seize your wages, bank accounts, and other assets without further warning. Many IRS deadlines, once missed, cannot be reopened. The sooner you act, the more options are available to you.

Yes — but only if you qualify. The IRS Offer in Compromise program allows eligible taxpayers to settle their entire tax debt for less than the full amount owed. Qualification depends on your income, expenses, assets, and ability to pay. Not everyone qualifies, and national tax companies that guarantee settlements are misleading you — no one can guarantee IRS acceptance. What we can promise is an honest evaluation of whether you qualify, and aggressive representation if you do. We also evaluate every other resolution option simultaneously to make sure you get the best possible outcome regardless of whether an Offer in Compromise is right for your situation.

It depends on the resolution type. Penalty abatements and installment agreements can often be resolved in 30 to 90 days. An Offer in Compromise and Partial Pay Payment Plans typically take 12 to 24 months from submission to IRS decision. Collection Due Process appeals have strict deadlines and must be filed within 30 days of certain notices. The most important thing is not how long resolution takes — it is stopping IRS collection action as quickly as possible so you are protected while the process plays out. We file our Power of Attorney immediately upon being retained, which puts the IRS on notice that they deal with us, not you.

A wage garnishment is when the IRS legally requires your employer to withhold a portion of every paycheck and send it directly to the IRS. A bank levy is when the IRS seizes funds directly from your bank account. Both can happen with as little as 30 days notice and both can be devastating financially. In most cases, an attorney can get a garnishment or levy released — but acting quickly is critical. Once a levy has been in place for a period of time, recovering those funds becomes much harder. If you have received an IRS notice mentioning a levy or if your wages are already being garnished, call us immediately.

Yes — and you are not alone. Unfiled returns are one of the most common issues we handle. The IRS will eventually file a return on your behalf using the information they have — with no deductions, no exemptions, and the highest possible tax rate. This is called a Substitute for Return and it almost always results in a higher tax bill than if you had filed yourself. We can prepare and file your back returns, negotiate any resulting balance, and get you back into compliance with the IRS. In many cases filing the missing returns actually reduces what you owe significantly.

No. While our firm is based in Atlanta, Georgia, we represent clients with IRS problems across the entire country. Federal tax issues are governed by federal law and we are authorized to represent taxpayers before the IRS nationwide. Whether you are in Georgia, South Carolina, or anywhere else in the United States, we can handle your IRS matter. Call us regardless of where you are located.

The most helpful documents to have ready are any IRS notices or letters you have received, your most recent tax returns, and a general sense of what years are involved and approximately how much the IRS claims you owe. If you do not have these documents — or if you are not sure what you owe — do not let that stop you from calling. We can obtain your complete IRS record ourselves once you retain us. The most important first step is simply making the call.

We charge flat fees that are specific to your case type and complexity — not hourly rates that keep climbing as your case drags on. You will know your fee before we begin and it will not change. What we can tell you is that our fees are structured to be competitive with any qualified tax resolution firm, and that the cost of professional representation is almost always far less than the penalties, interest, and collection damage that comes from trying to handle the IRS alone or waiting too long to act. Call us for a confidential case evaluation and we will give you a straightforward answer about what your case involves and what it will cost.

National tax resolution companies — the ones you see advertised on television and radio — are typically staffed by non-attorneys working from scripts. They cannot represent you in Tax Court, they cannot offer attorney-client privilege, and they often charge large upfront fees regardless of outcome. When you hire our firm, you work directly with a licensed attorney who has 25 years of experience in federal tax controversy and IRS disputes. Everything you share with us is protected. If your case requires litigation or appeals, we can handle that too. You are a client, not a case number.