The IRS can accept that you are having financial difficulties (economic difficulties) if you can show that you can't pay or can barely afford your basic living expenses. For the IRS to determine that you are in a difficult situation, it will use your financial collection rules to determine the basic living expenses allowed. An economic hardship occurs when we have determined that the tax prevents you from covering your basic and reasonable living expenses. For the IRS to determine if a lien is causing economic hardship, it will generally need you to provide us with financial information, so be prepared to provide it to you when you call.
IRS difficulties are for taxpayers who can't pay their back taxes. The technical term used by the IRS is “State currently not collectable”. To show that you are struggling financially, you must show that, after expenses, you do not have the income available to pay back taxes. The IRS sets the monthly allowable expenses in its Financial Collection Rules.
Assuming that you don't have access to asset capital, your income must match or be less than the monthly expenses allowed by the IRS. If you are an individual taxpayer and believe you qualify for financial hardship status from the IRS, you can apply by completing Forms 433A or 433F. If you're having trouble making ends meet and can't pay your taxes, you may be eligible for an IRS Start Fresh Program. While you're going through financial difficulties from the IRS, you'll be protected from IRS collection methods, such as seizing assets, seizing your paycheck, or collecting money directly from your bank account. Form 433A or Form 433F: used for individuals or individuals who are self-employed who apply for a difficult economic situation with the IRS.
The IRS will not seize your property, accept your paycheck, or delete your bank account while you are in difficulty with the IRS. If you have a C corporation, an S corporation, or a partnership and you think you qualify for economic hardship status from the IRS, you can apply by completing Form 433B. When considering your case of economic difficulties, the IRS analyzes whether you can afford the modest allowable expenses for food, housing, public services, transportation, medical treatment, and other basic expenses based on your household income. If you expect to owe new taxes this year and your back taxes are experiencing financial difficulties from the IRS, the new taxes will not automatically be included in the IRS economic hardship category.
Personal difficulties Financial or business difficulties Medical difficulties No specific difficulties. If your income has increased, the IRS may take you out of the IRS's state of economic hardship because it believes you're better able to support yourself and pay your taxes. Contact the IRS immediately by calling the phone number listed on the rate or in the correspondence and explain your financial situation to them. If you are unable to pay the new taxes, you can request that the new taxes go into economic difficulties from the IRS, although it will be more difficult to do so if you continue to owe new taxes.
If you owe back taxes and are unable to pay them because of your current economic situation, you may be eligible for the IRS to grant you hardship status, technically known as a “current non-taxable situation”. Before you apply for economic hardship exemption from the IRS, you should consider submitting an offer of transaction, also known as liquidation. The IRS financial hardship program is designed to help taxpayers who would not be able to cover their necessary living expenses if they had to pay their tax bills.
