Don’t expect the government to let you get away with not paying your tax bill. As many high-profile cases involving celebrities such as Wesley Snipes and Al Pacino and have shown, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) expects to get paid no matter what your sob story may be. If you don’t set up some type of payment plan with Uncle Sam, don’t be surprised if the situation escalates into an IRS wage garnishment.
What is wage garnishment?
The government can legally deduct a portion of your wages–up to 25 percent–to pay back what you owe. A wage garnishment usually results after repeated warnings and letters about unpaid tax debt. The IRS would rather work with you to set up some other type of agreement for paying your tax bill, so do whatever you can to avoid having a levy placed on your paychecks.
The biggest problem with wage garnishment is that you are likely to struggle even more to pay household bills and other expenses. If you are already having a tough time financially, you may end up in the position of having to take on a second job to boost your income.
Get help with debt
If things have really spiraled out of control and you have a big tax bill and other financial obligations hanging over your head, it’s probably time to get help with debt. A debt counseling firm may be able to help put together a debt reduction plan to get you moving in the right direction. A debt counselor may also be able to help you navigate the IRS system for setting up some type of payment plan.
If you have already received a wage garnishment, consider finding a knowledgeable tax attorney. The attorney may be able to help you get a wage garnishment released or set up some type of installment agreement to pay back what you owe.
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