Tax
Relief Programs: What They Are and How to Access Them
Tax relief programs are a very important
part of the entire tax procedure. This is because there are instances when you
cannot pay all of your due taxes and you need some help. Well, this is what tax
relief programs were created for by the government. There are a few different
types of tax relief programs and in the following lines, we will be discussing
a few of them so you get an idea and can make an educated choice when or if you
need such a service.
Tax deductions can be either standard or
itemized. The first category can be accessed by almost anyone and depends on
certain criteria like your age, status, income, etc. They usually vary every
year and are given to single people, married people but depending on whether
they file together or separately, surviving spouses, blind citizens, seniors
over 65, and the heads of households.
Itemized deductions represent certain
expenses that you can subtract from your income when filing your taxes. There
are a lot of things that count as itemized deductions but keep in mind that you
cannot apply them if you also benefit from a standard deduction. So you can
pick either one or the other.
The Fresh Start initiative is a
government program that allows taxpayers to pay what they owe and avoid
punishments. Some of the Fresh Start initiative options that are available are
currently non-collectible status, offer in compromise, penalty abatement, and
installment agreement.
Tax exclusions are various types of
income or expenses that can be taken out from your taxable income and deemed
non-taxable. Probably the most popular type of tax exclusion is the health
insurance that is sponsored by the employer. Things like child support
expenditures and death benefits also count as exclusions.
Tax credits are also tax relief
solutions but as opposed to deductions, those do not diminish your income but
your owed tax amount. A lot of people consider credits more beneficial than
deductions for exactly this reason. There are a number of tax credits available
among which the most popular are the LLC and AOTC tax relief programs along
with the EITC program, the saver’s tax, and the child tax credit.
Accessing the aforementioned tax relief
programs might be difficult for some people. Thankfully, there are a lot of
companies that specialize in offering professional aid so that all taxpayers
who are struggling can benefit from these programs. Here are some of the firms
to consider when looking for assistance with tax relief programs.
TaxRise is a company that focuses on
providing professional help to people who require tax relief programs. It is
based in Irvine, CA, and was established back in 2016. In order to qualify for
their services, you need a minimum back taxes of at least $5,000. They provide help
for most tax relief programs, including state tax back taxes, CNC, and personal and
business tax relief situations. TaxRise has a money-back guarantee, charges a
retainer, and offers the possibility for flexible payments.
TaxSlayer was founded back in 1992 and
it is a tax preparation company that aims to help people file their taxes more
easily and quickly. While not specifically offering aid with enrolling in tax
relief programs, this company provides a good environment that will help you
not end up in a situation where you need such a program to pay your taxes. They
offer three different price tiers depending on the type of federal tax return
that you need to file. The basic one is for free, the standard one is $24.95,
and the premium one of $44.95. For state tax returns, TaxSlayer charges a
$39.95 fee.
Republic Tax Relief helps its customers
obtain various types of tax relief by providing professional help and guidance
throughout the entire process. In order to get started, you only need to
contact the company and they will provide you with a tax consultant that will
act as your guardian angel in the battle with the IRS. The initial consultation
is free and the amount that you will eventually have to pay will depend on your
particular tax situation. Republic Tax Relief can help you enroll in any tax
relief program.
Civic Tax Relief is a similar company that
was founded back in 2017. They offer a money-back guarantee, charge a retainer
fee for their services, and only offer professionals. The company does not,
however, cover state tax back taxes. Also, Civic Tax Relief will not take into
account CNC cases but they provide the opportunity for flexible payments and
have no minimum required back taxes ammount.
ClearOne Advantage was founded back in
2007 and ever since then, it has been helping people pay their back taxes. However,
the company is only available in 22 states, has a $10,000 minimum back taxes requirement, and its fees are performance-based. It’s very important to know
that ClearOne Advantage only considers unsecured back taxes when offering back taxes relief. As you can see, the services it provides are a bit different but still
worth considering if you’re struggling with back taxes.
Fortress Tax Relief was created back in
2003 and helps people enroll in tax relief programs and also deals with state back taxes. It has a money-back guarantee, charges a retainer fee, and has a
minimum required back taxes of $15,000. The fees for this company start at $500 and
go up, depending on the complexity of your case. The company also considers CNC
cases and deals with both business and personal tax relief cases.
US Tax Shield is a company that began
back in 2000 and offers the same kind of services. The minimum required back taxes to
work with them is $10,000 and the average fee sits at around $4,000. The firm
also considers CNC cases and deals with both business and personal tax relief
cases. They do have a money-back guarantee and offer the opportunity for
flexible payments.
The minimum required back taxes for
StopIRS is $20,000 and the average fee sits at around $3,000. They provide
the same kind of services as the aforementioned brands, have a money-back
guarantee, do not charge a retainer, and provide flexible payments. The firm
will also consider CNC cases along with agreement installments, and personal,
and business tax relief situations.