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Copyright © 2012 |
Statutes of Limitations
Normally, it's ten years from date of assessment. Many people believe there is no limit on the IRS' authority to collect. Others will answer, "three years," or "five years," or "seven years." The correct answer is "ten years." That time starts running when the IRS "assesses" the tax, that is, when it officially records your tax liability on its computers and sends you a bill. When you file your tax return, you are "assessed." In most cases, you have paid in full already through withholding, or you send in more money with the return. So it's not an issue, normally. But if you have a "balance due" return, the IRS will assess the tax, and penalties, and interest. It then gets ten years to collect. The IRS has three years to "assess" a tax against you. Assessing a tax means billing you for it and demanding payment. You can extend this period in a number of ways. The IRS can also extend it under certain circumstances. You extend it by these means (the most common): a voluntary waiver (usually, Form 900), filing an offer in compromise, request for installment agreement, collection due process hearing request, innocent spouse request, application for taxpayer assistance order, petition in bankruptcy or other proceeding where your assets come under court control, and going outside the US for 6 months. The IRS can extend the statute by requesting the Department of Justice to file suit against you to obtain a judgment for the taxes (the statute is suspended when a timely suit is filed). |
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