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When I counsel people dealing with IRS problems, I usually end up asking the one big nagging question ....."Why did you wait so long to do something about this?" Here's the usual reply: "I thought I would end up going to jail."Let's go ahead and get something straight about the IRS and prison time...

IRS Spokesman David Stell declared that the agency shall no longer release "debt indicators" of taxpayers to tax preparation services.  Debt indicators released by the IRS are those that indicate whether the taxpayer will receive any tax refund, and if that refund would be offset by payment of delinquent taxes, student loans or child support.

The IRS does have a provision in place that will reward average citizens a 15%-30% reward if they "blow the whistle" on individuals or companies that aren't following the tax laws.

I don't know your financial situation personally, but I would venture a guess that if you have problems paying the IRS...that you may have credit card debt problems as well.  So I certainly don't mean to throw "fuel on the fire" of a debt problem by making the following suggestion, but I'll throw it out there as an option and only you'll know if it is a legitimate option for you.

Every month I choose a very special Client of the Month. It's my way of acknowledging good friends and saying "thanks" to those who support me and my business with referrals, word of mouth and repeat business.

On December 18, 2009, in Seattle, Wash., Michelle L. Bielaski, of Bellevue, Washington, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,478,002 in restitution.  Bielaski pleaded guilty in June 2009, admitting that as secretary and treasurer of Falcon Construction, Inc., she failed to send to the Internal Revenue Service taxes that the company withheld from employee paychecks.

On October 2, 2009, in Baltimore, Md., Gino Jones was sentenced to 15 months in prison and one year of supervised release for failing to file tax returns for 2001 and 2002.  According to court documents, Jones operated a used car business under different names. He purchased cars at auctions, refurbished and then resold them on eBay.

Thankfully, the IRS has a solution for this scenario. It's called the "Innocent Spouse Doctrine". The IRS website states that: "By requesting innocent spouse relief, you can be relieved of responsibility for paying tax, interest, and penalties if your spouse (or former spouse) improperly reported items or omitted items on your tax return. Generally, the tax, interest, and penalties that qualify for relief can only be collected from your spouse (or former spouse). You must meet all of the following conditions to qualify for innocent spouse relief:

Have you ever heard that paying taxes in the United States is considered "voluntary" by the IRS?  That's what a number of tax protesters in this country might lead you to believe. They might also lead you to believe that filing tax returns is voluntary, too.  Ever since Congress passed into law the 16th Amendment to the constitution in 1913, tax protestors have brought up frivolous arguments against the existence of the IRS.

On Monday, June 14th, the IRS filed $300,000 in tax liens against Rep. Phil Hart, an Idaho state representative.  Hart refused to pay taxes between the years of 1996 to 2003, saying he believes the income tax is unfair and a misinterpretation of the constitution.