Tax relief built for founders and the self-employed

Owe the IRS $10,000 or more? There is a right way out.

The IRS resolves tax debt by formula: what you owe, what you can pay, and how far collection has gone. We work that formula for founders, business owners, and 1099 earners every day, from first notice to final resolution.

✓ Free consultation
✓ A plan in writing
✓ Never sold, never spammed

Not ready to talk? Estimate your payoff first.

Do you qualify for tax relief?

Free

Step 1 of 3 · 2 minutes · no obligation

How much tax debt do you have?

10 yrs

the IRS collection clock

most tax debt expires after the 10-year statute

25%

max failure-to-pay penalty

it accrues at 0.5% of the balance per month

$50k

simple payment plan ceiling

set up online, no financial disclosure required

cost of your consultation

free, no obligation, a plan in writing

Built for founders

Self-employed, 1099, and business tax debt is what we work on all day.

Free consultation

A no-cost review of your balance and options. Walk away any time.

Private

We never sell your information. It is used only to work your case.

A plan in writing

You leave the review knowing your options and the next step, on paper.

How the resolution process works

1
Tell us about your tax debt
Two minutes: roughly what you owe, whether returns are unfiled, and the last notice you received. No documents needed to start.
2
Free consultation and case review
A resolution specialist on our team walks through your situation and maps which IRS programs you can actually qualify for, based on how the IRS runs its own numbers.
3
Get your resolution plan
You leave with a clear plan in writing: the program that fits, the order of operations, and what happens next to take collection pressure off.

What we resolve

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Offer in Compromise

Settle your IRS debt for less than the full balance when the numbers show you cannot pay it. We build the offer the way the IRS scores it.

Installment Agreements

A monthly IRS payment plan structured around what you can actually afford, set up to stop levies and keep your business running.

Penalty Abatement

IRS penalties can add 25 percent or more to your balance. We pursue first-time abatement and reasonable cause relief to strip them back off.

Currently Not Collectible

When you genuinely cannot pay, hardship status pauses IRS collection: no levies, no garnishment, while the collection clock keeps running.

Unfiled Tax Returns

Years of missing returns get filed in the right order, replacing inflated IRS substitute returns and reopening every resolution option.

Wage Garnishment Release

An IRS wage levy takes most of your paycheck until it is released. We move fast to stop the garnishment and replace it with a resolution.

The definitive explainer

What to Do If You Owe the IRS More Than $10,000: The 5 Step Plan

Owe the IRS more than $10,000? The five step plan: verify your real balance, get filing compliant, know your collection stage, and pick the right program.

Read the guide →

Owing the IRS more than $10,000 puts you in lien territory: $10,000 is the general threshold at which the IRS considers filing a Notice of Federal Tax Lien.
Your debt grows at roughly 13% per year right now: 7% interest compounded daily plus a 0.5% monthly failure-to-pay penalty.
The fix follows five steps: get your real balance from transcripts, get filing compliant, identify your collection stage, match your situation to a program, and protect your appeal rights.

Your options come down to six factors

These are the levers the IRS itself weighs when it decides how a balance gets resolved. Know where you stand on each and the right program usually picks itself.

Thresholds change your options

How much you owe

The IRS treats a $12,000 balance very differently from a $120,000 one. Streamlined payment plans, lien filing practices, and passport certification all key off dollar thresholds, so the first step is knowing exactly where your balance sits.

The IRS runs a formula, not a feeling

What you can actually pay

Almost every resolution comes down to reasonable collection potential: your income, allowable living expenses, and equity in assets. When the formula says you cannot pay in full, programs like an offer in compromise or hardship status open up.

Unfiled returns block everything

Filing compliance

The IRS will not approve a payment plan or an offer while required returns are missing. Getting compliant is step one in nearly every case, and replacing IRS-prepared substitute returns often shrinks the balance itself.

Payroll tax is its own animal

Where the debt came from

Income tax debt and payroll tax debt follow different rules. Unpaid 941 employment taxes can be assessed against you personally through the trust fund recovery penalty, so business tax debt needs a business-owner strategy.

A CP14 is not an LT11

How far collection has gone

A first balance-due notice gives you room to plan. A final notice of intent to levy starts a 30-day clock with appeal rights attached. Matching your response to the collection stage protects your paycheck and your accounts.

Tax debt does not live forever

The collection clock

The IRS generally has 10 years from assessment to collect. Where your debt sits on that clock shapes the smart play: some balances are worth settling now, others are close enough to expiring that patience is a strategy.

The back-tax library

All guides →

Start Here

IRS Programs

Enforcement

Unfiled Returns

Business and Payroll

Money and Data

Got an IRS letter? Decode it.

The notice number in the corner tells you exactly where you are in the collection process, what happens next, and how long you have. Look yours up before you panic or pay.

CP14 CP501 CP503 CP504 CP2000 CP90 LT11 Letter 1058 CP523 CP508C Letter 725-B CP215 CP210/CP220 Letter 1153 All notices →

Quick answers

What should I do if I owe the IRS more than $10,000?

First, make sure all required returns are filed, because the IRS will not approve any resolution while returns are missing. Then get your exact balance from your IRS account transcript, and match your situation to a program: a streamlined installment agreement, an offer in compromise, penalty abatement, or hardship status. Our free consultation maps this for your numbers.

Does the IRS really forgive tax debt?

Sometimes, through specific programs rather than blanket forgiveness. An offer in compromise settles the debt for less than the full balance when the IRS formula shows you cannot pay it in full, penalty abatement removes penalties, and balances the IRS cannot collect within its 10-year collection window expire. Qualification is math-driven, not negotiation theater.

Will the IRS take my house or business?

Seizures of homes are rare and require multiple notices plus, in most cases, court approval, but wage garnishments, bank levies, and federal tax liens are common once you ignore final notices. Responding before the final notice deadline preserves appeal rights that stop most enforced collection.

Why does business or payroll tax debt need different help?

Unpaid 941 payroll taxes are treated far more seriously than income tax. The trust fund portion can be assessed personally against owners and anyone who ran payroll through the trust fund recovery penalty, and it survives business closure. Founder cases need a strategy that protects both the business and the owner.