by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Aug 14, 2026 | Tax Penalties & Relief
Read Time:7 Minute, 10 Second When a tax balance goes unpaid, the IRS does not simply hold the number steady while collection proceedings unfold. Interest begins accruing the day after the original filing deadline, it compounds every single day, and it applies not...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Aug 5, 2026 | Audit Defense
Read Time:5 Minute, 22 Second A tax audit, whether from the IRS or the Minnesota Department of Revenue, is not a conversation. It is a formal legal proceeding with statutory deadlines, evidentiary rules, and a burden of proof that sits squarely on you, the taxpayer....
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Aug 3, 2026 | Tax Resolution
Read Time:5 Minute, 48 Second Calling yourself a professional gambler on your tax return is not the same as being one. The IRS knows the difference. So does the Tax Court. The stakes for getting this wrong are high. Misclassifying gambling income and losses as...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Jul 29, 2026 | Tax Resolution
Read Time:10 Minute, 8 Second Business owners face two distinct federal tax obligations that run on separate tracks, follow different rules, and carry different consequences when they go unpaid. Conflating them is one of the most expensive mistakes we see. Payroll tax...
by Jon Call, EA | Jul 28, 2026 | Tax Penalties & Relief
Read Time:10 Minute, 5 Second You filed your return, the IRS audited it, and now there is a penalty on top of the extra tax they say you owe. That penalty is almost certainly the substantial understatement penalty under IRC § 6662, a 20% add-on that shows up...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Jul 27, 2026 | Tax Resolution
Read Time:4 Minute, 49 Second Most people who contact a tax resolution firm want to know one thing: what will it cost to make this go away? That is the wrong first question. The right first question is: what does the government actually claim you owe, and is that...
by Jon Call, EA | Jul 24, 2026 | IRS Collections & Levies
Read Time:11 Minute, 31 Second People use “lien” and “levy” interchangeably all the time. They are not the same thing, and the difference matters if you are trying to figure out what the IRS can actually do to you right now. Short version: a...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Jul 23, 2026 | Tax Penalties & Relief
Read Time:8 Minute, 21 Second The IRS underpayment penalty applies when you have not paid enough tax throughout the year through withholding or estimated payments. It is not a late-filing penalty. It is not a failure-to-pay penalty. It is a separate charge under IRC...
by Jon Call, EA | Jul 22, 2026 | Tax Resolution
Read Time:7 Minute, 21 Second An Offer in Compromise lets you settle your IRS tax debt for less than the full amount, but the IRS does not just take whatever you offer. They run the numbers, and whether your offer gets accepted comes down to a specific formula they...
by Jon Call, EA | Jul 21, 2026 | Tax Penalties & Relief
Read Time:6 Minute, 18 Second If you owe taxes and did not file your return on time, you have two separate problems. The one most people ignore is the more expensive one. Failure-to-file and failure-to-pay are different penalties, calculated differently, and they can...
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