Stand Up to the IRS Blog

Have you received mail from the IRS?  If it’s certified, the IRS is advising you of an aggressive action.  Either something they’ve already done or something their gonna do soon.


Notice of Federal Tax Lien (NFTL)

•  A NFTL publicly records the tax lien and secures the IRS’ priority amongst other creditors.  This is when the tax lien hits your credit report and starts to cause real trouble. Lower credit score, Higher interest rates on loans, Refinance problems… and for small business this could mean less credit for inventory, bank trouble with Lines of Credit, BIG TROUBLE for those with A/R financing or Invoice Factoring.
• You have the ability to Appeal the filing of the NFTL, but if you owe the tax, there’s typically no reason to Appeal because you’ll lose. So, don’t let a salesman talk you into Appealing a Tax Lien filing.

Final Notice of Intent to Levy

• Open this one and contact a professional! Even if it’s just to seek free advice, because this one is serious. The Final Notice is time sensitive. You have 30 days from the date on the notice to Appeal the levy (before it happens) and typically about 45 days before the IRS seriously considers taking your $$ without further notice.
• The IRS must send you the Final Notice before reaching into your bank account, garnishing your wages or contacting a small business’s accounts receivable.

Although we prefer our clients get us involved before the IRS reaches into their accounts, we often fight to get levied funds released back to our clients.


TAKEAWAY – Contact us if you’ve received Certified Mail from the IRS, because we're good at this.