Owe the IRS $100,000 or more?
IRS Debt Assist is for individuals and businesses facing serious federal tax debt. Understand the balance, the response that matters now and the work a resolution may require.
Smaller, uncertain or disputed balance? The guides can help you understand that too.
Start with your situation
Personal IRS debt
A large balance can come with unpaid years, missing returns, a disputed amount or a payment you can no longer maintain. Establish what you owe and which response needs attention first.
Business IRS debt
Separate the employer’s returns, deposits and unpaid balances. If you also received a personal Trust Fund Recovery Penalty proposal, keep that person’s notice and response separate from the business account.
Get three things clear before choosing a resolution
The balance. Identify the person or business, tax periods, payments and credits behind the amount. Keep a proposed change separate from a confirmed assessment.
The immediate response. Read the actual letter or decision and its instructions. A balance bill, proposed adjustment and payment-plan termination ask different questions. Identify the notice or letter.
The financial picture. Current income, necessary costs, assets and ongoing tax obligations affect what a proposal may involve. Debt size alone does not determine the answer. Explore the resolution guides.
Know what a resolution actually means
Paying over time, asking for a temporary collection delay and making a settlement offer are different procedures. Each has conditions, and an application is different from an approved result.
The IRS’s own tax-debt guidance explains official routes. Our guides connect those procedures to the records, decisions and follow-through involved.
Clear sources. Clear distinctions.
Our guides link to IRS and other official material. They distinguish a proposal from a bill, a request from an approval and an employer’s account from a possible personal assessment.
The same care applies to data. Our IRS debt research explains what the official figures measure. The state comparison uses tax due when individual returns were filed, rather than claiming to show current unpaid IRS debt in every state.
Questions before you go further
Do I need to owe $100,000 to use the guides?
No. The focus is serious individual and business IRS debt, including balances of $100,000 or more. The guides also cover smaller, uncertain and disputed amounts. A balance is not a guarantee of eligibility for any resolution.
Can IRS debt be settled for less?
An offer in compromise can settle a tax liability for less than the full amount if the applicable conditions are met. It is not a standard percentage discount. The IRS offer-in-compromise page explains the program; our offer guide follows the application and decision stages.
Do I need a tax attorney?
An attorney is not always required for IRS collection work. Eligible enrolled agents and CPAs can also represent taxpayers before the IRS. The appropriate choice depends on the work, authority and experience needed. See the IRS credential explanation and our guide to deciding what professional work you need.
Is IRS Debt Assist part of the IRS?
No. IRS Debt Assist provides independent information and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS or the U.S. government. Government resources linked here remain separate from this website.
IRS Debt Assist provides general information about federal tax-debt issues. It does not establish the facts of your account or replace advice based on your circumstances. Check response dates against the actual notice and applicable official instructions.
IRS debt guides · Notices and letters · State comparison · IRS debt research