Collection actions
Bank levy help
A bank levy freezes the money in your account and starts a 21-day clock. That window is the whole opportunity — after it closes, the funds go to the IRS.
The basics
The 21-day window
When the IRS levies a bank account, your bank freezes the balance that was there on the day the levy arrived and holds it for 21 days before sending it. Deposits made after that day generally aren’t captured, though the account can be levied again.
Those 21 days exist specifically so errors can be corrected and hardship claims can be raised. It is the single most time-sensitive situation in tax collection, and it’s the one where waiting a week costs the most.
Whether funds can be returned depends on your circumstances, what you can document, and how much of the window is left. If money has already been sent, the options narrow significantly — which is the honest answer, not a sales pitch to call faster.
What helps
What matters here
These are the factors that determine what's still possible. None of them wait for you to catch up.
Days remaining
Count from the date your bank froze the funds, not from when you noticed. Everything else depends on this number.
What the funds are
Certain deposits, like some federal benefits, may be exempt. Identifying them early matters.
Documented hardship
If the levy leaves you unable to cover necessities like rent, utilities, or medication, that's a recognized basis for requesting a release.
Our approach
How we handle it
Four steps, starting the day you call.
Immediate triage
We establish the levy date and how much of the window remains before anything else.
Contact the assigned party
With a signed power of attorney, we reach the revenue officer or ACS unit holding the case.
Document the hardship
Bank statements, bills, and a financial picture assembled to the standard the IRS actually asks for.
Request release and stabilize
Pursue the release and put an arrangement in place so the account isn't levied again next quarter.
We triage the moment you call — confirming the freeze date and how many of the 21 days are left before anything else. What happens after that depends on your documentation and how much time remains, not on how the case is pitched.
Before you call
Who this isn't for
If a private creditor or a state agency levied your account, the process and the timelines are different. And if the 21 days have fully elapsed and the funds are gone, the conversation shifts from recovery to preventing the next one — we'll tell you that upfront rather than taking a fee to chase it.
Common questions
Bank levy help questions
Can I get my money back?
Sometimes, if the window is still open and there's a basis for release. Once funds have been sent to the IRS, recovery is much harder and depends on the specific facts. We'll give you a straight read on your odds before you spend anything.
Can I still use my account?
Usually the frozen amount is what was there when the levy hit. New deposits typically aren't held, but your bank makes that determination — call them to confirm your specific situation.
Why didn't I get a warning?
You almost certainly did, but notices go to your last address on file with the IRS. If you've moved, letters may be sitting in someone else's mailbox. That's one of the most common ways people are blindsided.
Will it happen again?
It can, until the underlying balance is addressed. That's why a release without a follow-up plan just resets the clock.
Free consultation
Let's see how much time you have left
Tell us when the freeze happened and a tax professional will review it and call you back. There's no cost for the review and no obligation to hire us afterward.
Request your free case review
Takes about two minutes.
Your request is in.
A tax professional will review your details and call you within one business day.