Getting Garnishment Exemptions For Back Taxes

Money certainly does not grow on trees but this is no excuse to avoid paying your taxes. You cannot run and hide from your financial responsibilities forever. If you owe taxes you will soon find that the IRS will collect their money one way or another. Garnishing wages is a common way the IRS collects on money owed but there is a way to gain garnishment exemptions.

What is Wage Garnishment?

Garnishing ones’ wages means that the entity that is owed money, in this case the government, can take payments from your paychecks. Now, the IRS does not just garnish wages without ample cause. This action is usually the last resort when all other options and attempts to collect the amount owed have been exhausted. The first step is a judgment against you made by the IRS. You will be notified of the decision which you can appeal, especially if the amount of the wage deduction is too severe for your current economic situation. If the judgment is carried out, the amount is deducted directly from your employer who sends the amount to the court where the complaint was filed.

How to Stop Wage Garnishments

The best way to stop this process is by balancing out the debt to zero. Of course, this is not always an option. Instead, seek to negotiate with the IRS. While negotiating seems like an unlikely option it really is not. Remember, wage garnishment is a last resort; the IRS tried to work with you before and they will be willing to work with you now. All you have to do is ask in most cases. Sit down and figure out a reasonable and affordable amount that you can pay each and every month. Make sure the figure is realistic because failure to pay will make you eligible for another garnishment judgment. Call the IRS to arrange the payments and ask for confirmation of the arrangement to be mailed to you. With this acknowledgement in hand, you can then go to your employer and have the garnishments nullified. Just make sure to hold up your end of the agreement.

A Lawyer Makes All the Difference

As soon as you receive notification that your wages will be garnished, you will want to seek the help of a lawyer. The tax attorney will be able to sit you down and explain the procedure and why your wages are being garnished. You can then seek the lawyer’s help to remove the judgment and make the necessary payment arrangements.