IRS Tax Problems

How Can a Tax Professional Help Me Seek Innocent Spouse Relief?

How Can a Tax Professional Help Me Seek Innocent Spouse Relief?

Did your spouse accidentally or intentionally misstate items on your tax return, causing you to be hit with a tax bill that you don't think you should have to pay? You may qualify for innocent spouse relief. If you're unsure whether you qualify, you should definitely seek a tax professional's help.

Why Should I Use a Tax Professional Instead of Contacting the IRS Directly for Something My Spouse Did?

It can be scary to receive a notice from the IRS saying that you owe taxes. It's also never pleasant finding out that your spouse either made mistakes on your tax return without your knowing about it, or willfully misreported or omitted things that caused you to receive that notice.

Because of the confusing language with innocent spouse claims, it's best to hire someone who can speak the language of tax and knows exactly what the IRS is looking for in a claim. Working with a tax professional to file for an innocent spouse relief claim simply eliminates all of the stress that comes with making a claim and waiting for the IRS to respond. Since it's the tax professional's job to stay in touch with the IRS and do all they can to advocate for you, they can take care of this for you while you focus on more important areas of your life.

Depending on the relationship that you have with your spouse (or perhaps soon-to-be former spouse), working with a tax professional can also provide a buffer when it comes to your mental health and/or personal finances. If your marriage is otherwise happy but your spouse is not good with tax and financial matters, having an impartial tax professional help you prevent this situation from happening again is one of the best decisions you can make as a couple.

On the other hand, if you are not on good terms with your spouse due to a divorce in progress or are otherwise having difficulty getting in touch with them, then a tax professional can also help you avoid a confrontation you do not want while solving your tax issues.

Tax Professionals Can Help You With Other Types of Tax Relief

One of the foremost reasons you should hire a tax professional if you think you'll qualify for innocent spouse relief is that they are also familiar with different types of tax relief. In the event that you don't qualify for innocent spouse relief, you may be eligible for two other types of spousal relief.

Separation of liability relief is an option if you filed jointly with your spouse and are widowed, divorced or your spouse has not been living with you for the past tax year. The IRS is required to notify your spouse and consider their response in your claim. Equitable relief is the other type of spousal relief available if the IRS deems it unfair that you would be held liable for underpaying your taxes.

Tax professionals can also assist you if you are an injured spouse. You are considered injured if all or part of a joint tax refund was applied, or will be applied, to obligations owned solely by your spouse. These include past-due federal and state taxes, child support, student debt or other debts. While often confused with innocent spouse relief, which doesn't necessarily entail making tax payments right away, injured spouse claims can be more urgent if you were expecting a tax refund. A tax professional can expedite the process of helping you get your share of your refund back and ensure you're filing the right claim, so you don't have to try filing more than once while interest continues to mount.

A tax professional experienced in spousal relief claims can give you peace of mind and keep marital conflicts at a minimum, which makes their fees all the more worth it.

Lee Reams II, writes for TaxBuzz, a tax news and advice website. Reach him at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.

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Lee Reams II

Lee Reams II

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I am a tax and business news junkie who has spent the last 20 years developing and executing "best in class" word-of-mouth marketing campaigns for tax and accounting professionals. With TaxBuzz and CountingWorks we have taken that same commitment to quality content directly to the consumer. Keeping you up-to-date with the latest tax law changes, business growth tips and planning strategies to help you reach your best financial outcome.

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