Owning money to the Internal Revenue Service will put you in a stressful position. You will have a million and one questions swirling around in your mind about how your tax debt might complicate your finances. For example, you may wonder, “Can the IRS garnish wages without warning?”
You will be happy to hear that the federal agency will never begin garnishing your wages out of the blue. You will receive ample notice about the potential for IRS wage garnishment, giving you time to devise a solution for your unpaid taxes.
Learn more about how this process will play out below.
The answer to the question, “Can the IRS garnish wages without warning?” is a simple “no.” The agency isn’t typically in the business of doing this without first warning people about the possibility of it happening.
Before kickstarting the wage garnishment process, the agency will send you a Final Notice of Intent to Levy. This notice will arrive via certified mail at least 30 days in advance of it garnishing your wages. It will provide information on the agency’s garnishment process and offer details on how to stop this process from taking place.
If a Final Notice of Intent to Levy from the IRS appears in your mailbox one day, you should not ignore it. If you fail to act after receiving this notice, you will essentially be giving the agency the green light to proceed with wage garnishment.
Instead, you should attempt to stop it from garnishing your wages. You can put your tax problems in the past by paying off your back taxes altogether. The agency will also usually allow you to set up a repayment plan if paying them all off at once isn’t realistic.
Coming to an IRS installment agreement could be the answer to your prayers. Reaching an offer in compromise (OIC) and settling your tax debt is another viable option.
Whatever you do, don’t wait until the last minute to create a repayment plan or come up with another solution for your tax debt. This could reduce your options and bring you one step closer to having your wages garnished.
After discovering the answer to the question, “Can the IRS garnish wages without warning?” you might feel relieved knowing the agency can’t start taking your money just yet. At the same time, you may also experience your fair share of stress and anxiety, knowing wage garnishment could be on the horizon.
Working closely with a tax professional from Levy & Associates, Inc., is an effective way to deal with the agency when wage garnishment is possible. We will analyze your tax debt, lay out your leading options, and guide you in the right direction as you seek to make amends with the agency and avoid garnishment. We will also keep you informed of your taxpayer due process rights.
If you’re ever left to wonder, “Can the IRS garnish wages without warning?” you will probably be stuck in a difficult spot. You might struggle to decide what to do next when the agency is breathing down your neck and commanding you to pay your back taxes. Contact Levy & Associates, Inc., at 313-447-1704 for legal assistance or fill out this form, and a tax professional will contact you soon to discuss your pending tax troubles.
Levy & Associates is available for free initial consultations. We’re happy to answer any questions you have about the audit process or address any concerns about your specific situation.
There’s never a good time to be audited, and the time-consuming process will take away from your business or family if you try to face it alone. Let us handle and coordinate communication, so you can return to your daily life.