Owe Back Taxes? The IRS May Grant You Uncollectible Status

Although it is rarely done, the IRS can garnish 15 percent of a senior’s Social Security for past-due income taxes. However, this garnishment will never happen without the senior being first notified.  The IRS will almost never garnish pensions and other retirement income.

Tips on Applying for Uncollectible Status

Here are some guidelines and requirements for applying for CNC status:

• The financial information supplied must prove to the IRS that the individual does not have any surplus income after paying their necessary monthly living expenses and that they have no significant additional assets.
• Individuals may need to submit their bank statements along with this IRS financial statement and any other relevant financial documentation for review.
• Look carefully at this web page http://www.taxdebthelp.com/hardship/requirements-uncollectible. At the bottom of the page are links to budget standards the IRS uses in determining whether a person qualifies for uncollectible status.
• If you are going to apply by phone, carefully prepare a budget ahead of time that shows expenses within those budget standards that consume all your money so it is clear there is no extra money with which to pay taxes.
• If applying by phone, the IRS collector might try to get you to say that you can pay something when you can’t.  Review on the IRS website the suggested budget numbers and national standards for where you live. Do not underestimate your expenses, which many people do.  If you fit within the criteria, you qualify for CNC status.

Once taxpayers are placed on CNC status, they will maintain this status for at least a year.  In the case of retirees, the status will likely be indefinite since retirement income and Social Security are constant and most retirees will not be working in the future. If an individual’s account keeps its CNC status until after the statute of limitations on the debt runs out, usually around ten years, the IRS will be permanently prevented from collecting the debt.

If you are unable to work something out with the IRS over the phone, you can contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS). This free government service ensures that every taxpayer is treated fairly and understands his or her rights. The TAS is an independent organization within the IRS, headed by the National Taxpayer Advocate. Each state has at least one Local Taxpayer Advocate who is independent of the local IRS office and reports directly to the National Taxpayer Advocate.

To contact TAS, call (877) 777-4778 or see its website for a list of local TAS offices.

What About State Income Taxes?

Not all states have procedures in place to put persons on uncollectible status for past-due state taxes owed. Federal law protects Social Security, pension, disability and VA benefits from garnishment by states for taxes owed. Unfortunately, not all state taxing agencies will tell seniors that their income is protected from garnishment; instead, they continue collection efforts. (Click here for information on a law Oregon enacted in 2015 to put an end to this practice.)

If a senior’s bank account is garnished by a state tax collector, twice the amount of monthly Social Security deposited into the bank account is automatically protected from garnishment, no matter the source of funds in the account at that time. Federal banking regulations require a bank to determine an account into which Social Security is deposited and disregard any garnishment, including for past-due state taxes owed. If there are excess funds from exempt sources in the account, a claim of exemption would need to be filed with the state before the money could be released.

For more information, visit HELPS, a non-profit law firm formed to educate seniors and persons working with them about seniors’ financial rights and to resolve tax, student loan and housing issues.