by Jon Call, EA | Sep 7, 2026 | IRS Collections & Levies, Tax Resolution
An Offer in Compromise is not a slogan. Under IRC section 7122, it is a formal settlement path. The IRS decides. Your representative’s job is to put the right facts in front of the right desk, or to tell you when another path fits better. I have seen people hire...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Sep 1, 2026 | Installment Agreements, Tax Resolution
Most people with an IRS payment plan or a pending Offer in Compromise treat September 15 like a routine estimated tax date. That is the wrong first question. The right first question is whether missing that payment will default the plan you already have. The third...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Aug 14, 2026 | Tax Penalties & Relief
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 just to the unpaid tax but to any...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Aug 5, 2026 | Audit Defense
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. The best thing you can do when...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Aug 3, 2026 | Tax Resolution
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 Schedule C business activity instead...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Jul 29, 2026 | Tax Resolution
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 and income tax are not the...
by Jon Call, EA | Jul 28, 2026 | Tax Penalties & Relief
You filed. The IRS audited. Now there is a 20% accuracy-related penalty on top of the extra tax, usually the substantial understatement penalty under IRC §6662. For individuals, the understatement is “substantial” when it exceeds the greater of $5,000 or 10% of the...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Jul 27, 2026 | Tax Resolution
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 number correct? The answer is not...
by Jon Call, EA | Jul 24, 2026 | IRS Collections & Levies
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 lien is a legal claim against...
by Matthew Wildes, JD, CPA | Jul 23, 2026 | Tax Penalties & Relief
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 §6654 for failure to...
