If you owe the IRS more than you can pay, the IRS has a program that may let you settle the debt for less than the full balance. It is called an Offer in Compromise. Getting one accepted depends on preparing the financial disclosure correctly the first time.
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What an Offer in Compromise actually is
An Offer in Compromise (OIC) is a formal agreement with the IRS to settle your tax debt for less than the amount you owe. It is not a negotiation trick or a hardship letter. The IRS decides based on a detailed financial disclosure: your income, necessary living expenses, and the equity in what you own. That calculation produces a number the IRS calls reasonable collection potential, and your offer has to be built around it. Source: IRS, Offer in Compromise.
Who qualifies
- You have filed all required tax returns and made all required estimated payments
- You are not in an open bankruptcy proceeding
- If you are an employer, you have made your payroll tax deposits for the current and prior two quarters
The IRS provides a free Offer in Compromise Pre-Qualifier tool. I use it as a starting point, then build the full Form 656 and Form 433-A (OIC) financial package around your actual numbers.
What it costs to apply
The IRS charges a $205 non-refundable application fee, plus an initial payment toward your offer (20 percent for a lump-sum offer, or the first monthly installment for a periodic offer). Low-income taxpayers can qualify to skip both the fee and the initial payment. My professional fee is quoted after the free case review, based on the complexity of your case, and confirmed in an engagement letter before any work begins.
Why work with Noah Green, CPA (Texas), CFE
Some tax relief companies assign your file to a call center and a rotating case team. When you work with me:
- Your case is handled start to finish by one licensed professional: Noah Green, a CPA licensed in Texas and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
- The financial disclosure is prepared the way an examiner reads it, because forensic financial analysis is my second credential
- You get direct answers by phone, not a case-number queue
An Offer in Compromise is not right for everyone. If the numbers show the IRS would reject your offer, I will tell you that at the case review stage and walk you through the alternatives that fit your facts: an installment agreement, currently not collectible status, or penalty abatement. No outcome can be guaranteed, and any professional who guarantees you a settlement is telling you something the IRS does not permit them to promise.
How the process works
- Free case review. We go through your IRS notices, balances, and financial picture by phone.
- Transcript pull and compliance check. I pull your IRS transcripts to confirm exactly what the IRS shows you owe and whether any returns are missing.
- Financial package. I prepare Form 433-A (OIC) and Form 656 with full documentation.
- Submission and negotiation. I deal with the IRS so you do not have to.
- Resolution. If the offer is accepted, you complete the payment terms and the remaining balance is compromised.
Handled remotely, nationwide
Sheepdog Tax Resolution is veteran-owned and operated by a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Federal tax matters can be handled entirely by phone, video and secure document exchange, wherever you live in the United States.
Call (888) 533-3495 Start the online assessment
Sheepdog Tax Resolution does not guarantee any particular outcome. Results depend on the facts of each case and IRS determinations.
Prepared by Noah Green, CPA (Texas), CFE
Evaluate your individual resolution options
The $1,700 individual evaluation covers one individual and up to four federal Form 1040 years. It assesses options; an offer in compromise or other implementation requires a separate engagement. This checkout does not accept urgent deadlines.
Review the scope and standard proposal before paying. Existing engagement duties remain included. Audit defense and the bundle are unavailable pending written coverage confirmation.