The Internal Revenue Service, state tax agencies, and local entities will send a letter if one of the following happens:
- You miss a payment deadline for payroll taxes due.
- You miss a deadline for filing payroll tax reports.
- An amount paid is short or over what the IRS or another tax agency calculates as due.
- The agency notices a discrepancy on your payroll tax returns and needs an explanation.
- You have been selected for an audit.
- You fail to respond to previous correspondence.
Please note: The IRS will never send you an email about any of the above situations. They always send physical letters. If you get an email, it’s a scam.
If you don’t respond to the initial IRS letters, the IRS and other tax agencies can apply liens, levies, garnishments, and seizures in an attempt to collect payment. You don’t want it to escalate to this level.
It’s a great idea to get a tax professional working on your payroll tax problem. They can help you:
- Respond professionally to IRS correspondence
- Get you caught up on filing back tax returns that are late
- Understand the IRS Collections process and your rights
- Negotiate penalties, interest, and taxes due to lower your debt
- Work out a payment plan on any money you owe to the IRS
- Fight for you on issues that come up, such as a “responsible persons” situation
- Help you get levies and liens removed from your assets
Responsible Person
If you worked for a company that did not file their payroll tax returns or pay their payroll taxes on time, the IRS may have designated you as a “responsible person.” Do NOT ignore this correspondence!
The IRS aggressively goes after anyone they can when it comes to payroll taxes, even if you’re not the owner of the business. If you have a relationship with the business that is of a particular status, duty, and authority, the IRS can blame you for not paying payroll taxes. And in this case, you are guilty before proven innocent.
It's best to contact a tax representation professional who can argue your case and get your “responsible person” status dropped.
Solutions for Your Payroll Tax Challenges
Contact us at no obligation to you so we can understand your specific payroll tax situation and provide advice on the options available to you. Your tax issue is handled with the utmost confidentiality and privacy.