Tax relief programs
Installment agreements
The most common resolution, and the least advertised — because nobody sells a payment plan the way they sell a settlement. For most people it's the right answer.
The basics
Not all payment plans are equal
The type you qualify for changes what you’ll pay and how much scrutiny you face.
Smaller balances can often be handled through a streamlined agreement with limited financial disclosure. Larger balances typically require a full financial statement, where the IRS examines your income and expenses against its own allowance standards and calculates what it believes you can afford.
That calculation is where representation earns its keep. The IRS uses national and local standards for housing, transportation, food, and health care. Expenses that fall outside those standards need to be justified, and legitimate costs get disallowed all the time when nobody argues for them.
There’s also a partial payment agreement, where the monthly amount is less than what would clear the balance before the collection period expires. It’s a real option that goes unmentioned far too often.
What helps
What matters here
These are the factors that determine your number and whether the plan holds.
Your monthly number
Determined by income minus allowable expenses, not by what feels affordable. Getting your expenses characterized correctly is the whole game.
Staying compliant
Filing and paying on time going forward is a condition. Most defaults come from a new year's balance, not a missed payment.
What it stops
An accepted agreement generally halts new levy activity, though liens may already be filed and typically stay.
Our approach
How we handle it
Four steps, starting with the real number.
Transcripts and totals
Confirming the real balance across all years, which often differs from what the notices show.
Build the financial picture
Your income and expenses documented against IRS standards, with justification where you exceed them.
Negotiate the terms
Proposing the plan type and amount that fits, and defending the expense figures.
Set you up to stay in it
Withholding adjustments or estimated payments so next year doesn't blow up the agreement.
IRS standards are a starting point, not the final word — costs above them get cut unless someone argues for them. That argument is most of what negotiating actually is.
Before you call
Who this isn't for
If your finances would support paying the balance in full fairly quickly, you may not need help — the IRS offers online payment agreements and short-term extensions you can set up yourself in about fifteen minutes. We'll say so if that's you.
Common questions
Installment agreements questions
Will interest keep accruing?
Yes. Penalties and interest continue until the balance is fully satisfied. A payment plan stops collection pressure, not the meter.
Can the monthly amount change?
It can be revisited if your circumstances change materially, and the IRS may periodically review longer agreements.
Will a lien be filed?
It depends on the balance and the agreement type. Some thresholds make a lien filing more likely. We'll tell you what to expect for your numbers.
What happens if I miss a payment?
The agreement can default and collection activity can resume. Reinstatement is often possible — the sooner it's addressed, the better.
Free consultation
Let's find a plan that fits
Tell us about your balance 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.