What can I do if I cannot afford to pay my taxes?
Taxpayers have several options for dealing with tax debts. You can set up a monthly payment plan called an installment agreement. You may also be eligible to defer payments for a period of time if you are facing financial hardship. Taxes can also be settled through an offer-in-compromise, or can be discharged through a bankruptcy proceeding. Installment agreements can be set up on the IRS Web site using the Online Payment Agreement Application.
What can I do if I need extra help in dealing with the I.R.S.?
Taxpayers often find they need extra help in dealing with the Internal Revenue Service. There's a number of resources available. Some people may qualify for free help from a tax clinic, which are publicly funded non-profit organizations designed to help people resolve their tax problems. You can also contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service if you've been unable to resolve your problems directly with the I.R.S. Otherwise, you can seek the help of a qualified tax accountant or tax attorney
Where can I find news and updates from the I.R.S.?
The Internal Revenue Service publishes news, updates and information on various pages of its Web site. The I.R.S. Newsroom covers recent changes about tax deductions, tax credits, or news of general interest. The Internal Revenue Bulletin provides a weekly compilation of official announcements regarding official procedures and decisions issued by the I.R.S. And the FOIA Reading Room provides access to a wide variety of internal documents and private determinations made by the I.R.S. Quantitative data about income, the number of tax returns filed, revenue collected, audits, and other enforcement action are published by the Statistics of Income Division.More »
Where can I find news about what's going on at the I.R.S.?
A variety of newspapers cover the Internal Revenue Service. The Chicago Tribune Web site collects news reports about the I.R.S. from the Associated Press and other newspapers around the country. The New York Times provides an index of its own news about the I.R.S. Finally, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University provides in-depth reports about the I.R.S.'s operations through its TRAC-IRS Web site. That site covers a wide variety of issues, including audits, criminal investigations, income by county, and geographic variance in enforcement activities.