Tax Relief Blog

What CP notices does the IRS send? IRS letters, notices

July 19, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

If you are contacted by the IRS, they usually send you a notice to call, or pay an unpaid tax amount. Most taxpayers are confused as to what the notice is for, or what does it really mean.

This article will clarify the most common notices received by taxpayers needing back tax help.

Some of the Individual CP notices the IRS sends are:
• CP09, Earned Income Credit You May Be Entitled To From IRS: Informs the recipient that, based on information reported on the tax return, he or she may qualify to take the Earned Income Credit.
• CP10, Changes to Tax Return, Reduced Amount Applied to Next Year’s Estimated Tax:Informs the recipient of one or more changes made to his or her individual income tax return. The changes resulted in a reduced amount being applied to the following year’s estimated tax.

Call us today at 877-788-2937 for a brief consultation.

The Best Tax Shelter around – your Personal Residence! Los Angeles, CA Whittier, La Habra, La Mirada, Pico Rivera

July 3, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Did you buy a new home in Los Angeles, Whittier, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Downey, Pico Rivera, Montebello, Hacienda Heights, La Habra Heights, West Covina, La Habra, Brea, Fullerton, Yorba Linda, Cerritos, La Mirada, Lakewood, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Compton, Torrance, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, Corona, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, the Inland Empire, the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Valley.

If you’re a homeowner, Uncle Sam has thrown you a tax shelter that’s beyond compare. You may deduct the mortgage interest paid on your annual tax return and deduct the property taxes on your Schedule A. If you don’t currently own a home, this tax benefit is significant enough to make you look seriously at home ownership.

Get professional tax preparation help. Our firm prepares, plan and represents taxpayers regarding all tax matters..

Please call us at 562-204-6700 or email us to schedule an appointment.

What can the taxpayer do if the time to respond to an IRS collection notice has passed?

June 20, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Do you owe the IRS unpaid back taxes? Have they sent you many letters but you did not respond?

There are still options.

CDP – Collection due process.

If the time to respond to an IRS collection notice has passed, you, the taxpayer, or your power of attorney / representative, may file a request for an equivalent hearing if you failed to make a timely request for a Collection Due Process (CDP) hearing (after receiving a Notice and Opportunity for Hearing upon Filing of Notice of a Federal Tax Lien or a Notice and Opportunity for Hearing Prior to Levy). The equivalent hearing will be held by the Appeals Office and will follow the procedures that are used for CDP hearings.

Get professional IRS representation. Our firm represents taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS.

Please call us at 562-204-6700 or email us to schedule an appointment.

What is the difference between a tax lien and a tax levy? Release your levy today!

June 7, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Did you receive an IRS or state tax lien notice, levy letter, postcard or phone call?

Know the difference between a tax lien and a tax levy, there are major differences between both enforcement action.

A tax lien is a type of claim against property that secures the payment of a tax debt. A Federal Tax Lien is a non-consensual lien that gives the IRS an interest in the taxpayer’s property (this interest will allow the IRS to seize and sell the taxpayer’s property in order to satisfy an assessment). Under §6321, the tax lien is imposed in favor of the United States Treasury when an assessment has been made by the IRS, a notice and demand for payment has been made, and the taxpayer has neglected or refused to pay the assessment. Under §6322, the IRS tax lien arises at the time the assessment was made.

The lien attaches to all property and rights to property belonging to the taxpayer at the time the lien arises as well as any property acquired after the lien arises. The IRS files a Notice of Federal Tax Lien to put the taxpayer’s other creditors on notice that the IRS has a claim against all of the taxpayer’s property. The IRS lien continues until liability for the assessment is satisfied by payment or abatement, or the assessment becomes unenforceable by reason of lapse of time.

Get professional IRS representation. Our firm represents taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS.

Please call us at 562-204-6700 or email us to schedule an appointment.

Payroll tax penalty problem? How a taxpayer show reasonable cause to excuse the penalty for failure to file or pay payroll taxes?

May 22, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Are you a business owner or an officer facing a 941 payroll or employment tax problem?

Unpaid payroll or employment tax is a serious tax matter, and the IRS holds the business owner, officers and other personnel as responsible person(s) and actively enforce aggressive collection measures to collect on the unpaid back taxes, penalties and interest.

For the IRS to excuse the penalty for failing to file, the taxpayer must show that such failure was due to reasonable cause. A taxpayer can show reasonable cause by proving that he or she “exercised ordinary business care and prudence and was nevertheless unable to file the return within the prescribed time” (see Reg. §301.6651-1(c)(1)). This standard is objective and will be determined by analyzing all the facts and circumstances.

Pico Rivera, California Tax Preparation and Planning Services, El Monte CA IRS – FTB – CDTFA – BOE – EDD Tax Help

May 9, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Mike Habib, EA tax firm provides a wide range of tax preparation, tax planning, tax representation and consulting services. We professionally prepare individual and business tax returns including Federal, State and e-filing. Clients come to us for expert assistance with any tax notice or IRS problem. We serve Pico Rivera, El Monte, CA and other surrounding cities.

IRS – FTB – CDTFA – BOE – EDD Tax Help

Please call us at 562-204-6700 or email us to schedule an appointment.

Proven Ways to Resolve Your IRS Tax Debt Problems

April 18, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Are constant calls and mail from the IRS bogging you down? Have you run out of possible options to pay your IRS tax debt running out of control in the tens or hundreds of thousands? Trust us; it’s not the end of the world and you are not alone. ‘How to resolve my IRS tax debt problem?’ is a constant question hovering over many people’s minds.

Tax Help for the Entertainment Industry – The Enrolled Agent Advantage

April 8, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

If you work in the entertainment industry you know that it has its share of advantages, but it can get tricky at tax time. Depending upon your role – whether you are an entertainer or involved in one of the many other aspects of the industry – you know how busy your schedule gets and how complex your income and expense records can be. The IRS still requires you to file your income tax returns on time, and accurately.

In all probability your return isn’t quite as straightforward as someone who works at a corporation, goes to the same job every day, and gets a weekly or monthly check with all of the taxes taken and accounted for. That’s why it’s even more important to get the right kind of help during tax season; for some entertainers, it may also be advisable to get guidance throughout the year due to the complexity of transactions for income, expenses, and investments particular to this industry.

Don’t compromise on your tax representation!

A tax professional with experience in the entertainment industry can provide you with the best advice.

Our tax firm led by Mike Habib, EA, handles various tax aspects for clients in the Entertainment Industry, for a free confidential consultation, call us today at 877-788-2937.

Identity Theft and Taxes – Be on the Lookout.

March 25, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Identity thieves are very clever. They not only steal credit cards and drain bank accounts; in 2011, the Internal Revenue Service reported the number of fraudulent tax returns associated with identity theft at 940,000 returns, resulting in $6.5 billion in associated fraudulent refunds – according to J. Russell George, head of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It is big business for the thieves and it’s a huge headache for the taxpayers whose identities have been stolen.

Identity theft refers to someone obtaining another person’s personal details, to commit fraud or other crimes. This includes the use of a name and Social Security number not belonging to the fraudster.

Haven’t Filed a Tax Return for a Few Years? Here’s What to Do.

March 11, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

If you haven’t filed taxes for a few years, first and foremost, take a big breath. It’s not great news, but it’s not the end of the world either. You might like to know that you are not alone; there are roughly 6 million non-filers in the U.S every year. There are many reasons people do not file, with IRS research showing that often people do not file in years that they have status changes, like the death of a spouse or a divorce. Emotional and financial hardships are also cited as reasons that people do not file their tax returns on time. There are also people who have simply procrastinated.

No matter what the reason, you need to know that the only way to deal with the back taxes is to get compliant and file your taxes. There’s no way around it. If you don’t, the IRS will determine what they think you should pay, and they will begin to put penalties and interest on top of what they estimate your tax liability to be.