Frequently asked questions

We generally take on cases with $15,000 or more in IRS debt. Below that threshold, the cost of a formal resolution engagement rarely makes financial sense — and honest advice is usually to set up a direct payment plan with the IRS yourself. We'll tell you if that's where you land.

Every engagement is flat-fee, quoted after the free case review. The fee depends on how many years need to be filed, the complexity of your financial picture, and which resolution path we're pursuing (OIC, PPIA, CNC, etc.). You'll know the full cost before we start — no hourly billing, no mid-case upsells.

It's almost never too late. The IRS generally requires the last 6 years of returns for compliance purposes, and we routinely rebuild returns going back a decade from wage-and-income transcripts and bank statements. Filing is the first step of every resolution — there's no path forward without it, but there's also no fixing the past without starting here.

No. IRS matters are federal, so we represent clients in all 50 states. Most of our work is done remotely via phone, email, and secure document portal. Our office is in Columbia, MD, but you don't need to set foot in it.

We handle Maryland state tax resolution directly (payment plans, penalty abatement, Offer in Compromise with the Comptroller). For other states, we coordinate with local counsel or the state's resolution programs so your federal and state matters don't work against each other.

A straightforward Installment Agreement can be in place within 30–60 days. An Offer in Compromise typically takes 6–12 months from submission to IRS decision. Complex cases with multiple unfiled years, SFR assessments, or active collection can run 12–18 months. We give you a realistic timeline at the end of the free case review.

An Offer in Compromise (OIC) settles the debt for less than the full amount owed — you make a lump-sum or short-term payment and the remainder is forgiven. An Installment Agreement is a monthly payment plan; you still owe the full debt, but you pay it over time. A Partial Pay Installment Agreement (PPIA) is a hybrid: monthly payments that won't fully pay off the balance before the 10-year collection statute expires, so part of the debt effectively disappears.

In most cases, yes — often within 24–72 hours of engagement. Once we file Form 2848 Power of Attorney and establish a replacement resolution path (IA, CNC, hardship), the IRS will release the levy. Bank levies are especially time-sensitive because of the 21-day hold window. Call us the same day you receive the notice.

CNC (status code 53) is an IRS designation that pauses active collection when paying would create genuine hardship. No garnishments, no levies, no enforced collection. It's not forgiveness — the collection statute keeps running, and the IRS can revisit your status if your income improves — but for many clients it's the bridge to statute expiration or a later Offer in Compromise.

A 15-minute call with a licensed CPA. With your permission (a short signed Form 8821) we pull your IRS account and wage-and-income transcripts so we can see exactly what the IRS has on file. We map your debt, identify which resolution programs you qualify for, and tell you the realistic range of outcomes and the flat fee — before you commit to anything.

Yes. Everything you share with us is protected under IRC §7216 and AICPA professional confidentiality rules. We don't share client information with anyone outside the engagement, and we use encrypted document portals for financial records.

You're not alone — a significant share of our new clients come to us after a bad experience with a national tax-relief call center. We'll review what was done (or wasn't), where your case actually stands with the IRS, and whether the prior fee was well-spent. In many cases we can pick up the pieces and complete the resolution that should have happened the first time.