How to Work with Brotman Law on Your IRS Collections Case

What I tell my clients is to throw whatever the IRS wants out the window, and we will focus on you and your situation. There is a certain amount of money that you are going to need to provide for yourself, to provide for your family, and to live the life that you are accustomed to living.

Once we figure out a way to sustain that or sustain that as much as reasonably possible, then we can worry about massaging the IRS into the equation.

Ultimately, IRS collection cases come down to two basic decisions. Are we going to pay them as quickly as possible? What are we going to do to maximize the client’s financial situation in the long-term so that they can get through this hurdle and meet their goals?

In some cases, that has us waiting out the 10-year collection statute or paying the IRS over time. In other cases, that could involve an offer in compromise, or potentially a bankruptcy.

The goal of Brotman Law is to focus on the client first and to put the government position secondary to whatever the client needs. In a lot of collection cases, we work with clients for multiple years in defending them against the IRS. In some cases, we work with them rather quickly, and in a month, they are gone.

We want to do what is in the best interest of the client. We have a very client-first approach to IRS collections and we will continue to stay that way for the benefit of our clients and to protect them in the future.

How much is it going to cost to have Brotman Law defend me in the IRS collection process? Obviously, my answer in terms of cost is going to depend on how much you owe the IRS, and what the situation is, whether or not you have a local agent chasing you and so forth.

I will generally say that in situations where we can get our head around the issue, which is pretty much every one of them, and we formulate a plan, the steps to resolve that plan are usually not that bad.

Resolving IRS collections disputes is pretty straightforward because the IRS has a formula for resolving collections matters in terms of what they will accept and will not accept. If you understand that formula you can understand where the cracks are and we can navigate around them to the benefit of the client.

I usually ask my clients, how much do they want to pay the IRS, and how much could they pay them if they absolutely had to. Between those two numbers, we usually get a range. The more the client is being reasonable and willing to be with the IRS, the less it will cost to deal with the issue.

For example, for simple payment plans with the IRS, we may be as low as $1,500 if we can get on the phone with them, agree to something that the IRS will readily accept  and close the case out. It can be very easy.

Some collection cases with revenue officers can take $30,000-$40,000 to resolve, it just depends on how big of a fight it is. In cases where we have multiple million dollars of liability or when there are multiple moving pieces, collection cases can get out of control.

In those situations, we are dealing with a big fight and having to go back and forth with the Office of Appeals. We are literally having to prevent the revenue officer from shutting down the taxpayer’s business.

In most situations, the costs are manageable and we can spread them out over a period of time and make them easily affordable for our clients. I like to take the position that IRS collection cases are a marathon and not a sprint.

The idea is, I need to be actively working with my clients to conserve their resources to make sure that we are doing the best we can to get them over the finish line.

Even though IRS collections matters vary greatly — from an offer in compromise, to a simple payment plan, to an all-out war with a revenue officer —  most situations end up being fairly economical and fairly cost-effective for the client.

What I would recommend is to run your circumstances by us. Sit down for a consultation, let us develop a strategy, and at the very least, you can walk out of our office with a plan in place, knowing what an attorney will cost in your situation and with no obligation to use in the future once you have that plan.

It makes things easy and it is a much better way for me to give you an accurate estimate with respect to cost for your IRS collection case.

Now that you have a better idea of our legal strategies and fee structure, you are better informed to make a decision as to how to move forward. Sure, you could ask your CPA or CFO to take a crack at this, but they are going to fail. This is not to knock the capabilities of these professionals, it is just that they do not have the in-depth understanding of the IRS and experience that we do. Their capabilities shine in other areas.

One thing I can add is that when we take on an IRS collections case, we deploy a holistic approach. Our clients never feel like they are fighting an uphill battle alone. We have been known to offer support to spouses, families and business partners, because the financial stress and uncertain outcomes are not just experienced by the taxpayer alone. It is important that everybody involved get the outside support they need.

As I have mentioned, give me a call and schedule a consultation. Come in and we can discuss your IRS situation and plan the best plan of attack.