People behind on their taxes are being ‘set up to fail’ by the IRS, watchdog says (MarketWatch)
MarketWatch, May 30, 2019
People behind on their taxes are being ‘set up to fail’ by the IRS, watchdog says
Too many taxpayers are in repayment plans they cannot afford, and that’s leading to some harsh financial consequences, according to a taxpayer advocate inside the Internal Revenue Service. National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson shined a light on installment plans and the perils that taxpayers face if the costs are too steep at a New York City Bar Association panel in New York City on Tuesday. When taxpayers cannot afford to pay their full tax bill at once, the IRS allows them to pay off the sum in installment plans that are based on their living expenses. Taxpayers, rather than the IRS, are the ones who initiate and set up the installment plans. But if that installment plan pushes those taxpayers into “economic hardship” the IRS must cease the installment plans under the law.
