Tax Settlement Attorney
Insightful, Resourceful, and Trusted Among Missouri Taxpayers
A Cape Girardeau tax settlement attorney can provide the kind of focused assistance you need when you owe large sums of taxes. This is important because owing money to the government is a big deal. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Missouri’s Department of Revenue (DOR) use the force of their departments and resources to investigate, charge, and demand payment. Threats of criminal charges could be on the horizon if not already in progress. You need the same amount of experience and resources to represent yourself, your business, and/or your financial interests if you want to win by obtaining a favorable outcome.
At Birk Law Firm, our tax settlement attorney knows what triggers the IRS and DOR. If you owe taxes, we work toward a tax settlement that favors you and your financial situation. We will also help you avoid these kinds of situations in the future. Call us today at 573-332-8585 to schedule a free initial consultation and find out why Birk Law Firm is trusted by your community members throughout Cape Girardeau.
Why Choose our Tax Settlement Attorney
Knowledge and Experience Maximized to Obtain Favorable Tax Outcomes
As a business and tax law attorney and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), we offer unique services to our clients. Here are a few good reasons why you should hire us regardless of whether you come to us about your personal taxes, business taxes, or both.
- We offer smart tax advice and legal services. Attorney Kelvin Birk has 50 years of combined experience in accounting and the law – particularly business law and tax law.
- We know IRS triggers. Our experience with the IRS informs our practice. We know what they are looking for and what they want, and we use this knowledge to proactively negotiate the best outcome for our clients.
- We are client-driven. Our business is to help you in your financial matters. We are committed to each of our clients and their interests, and, in return, our clients often testify to the quality of our accounting and legal services.
- We get results. We are creative and use our extensive experience in law and accounting to provide the best services that maximize chances for positive outcomes.
- We are experienced negotiators. Obtaining a tax settlement is often one of our clients’ best solutions, but it is in making sure the settlement favors our clients where we excel.
- We offer free initial consultations. We know you are already worried about money. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultations. This helps us get to know you and your situation as well as helping you get to know us.
At Birk Law Firm, we know it can be a daunting task to choose the best tax settlement attorney in Cape Girardeau, MO, for you and your specific tax issue. Rest assured that with Kelvin Birk, you get the experience, insight, and skill you need as well as the one-on-one attention you deserve.
Unlike many other tax settlement lawyers, Kelvin Birk is also a Certified Public Accountant. His knowledge and insight are key to settling tax issues with positive outcomes.
How Our Cape Girardeau Tax Settlement Attorney Can Help
Complex IRS Matters Require Experienced Tax Representation
The DOR and IRS process all kinds of taxes, from individual taxes to business taxes and more. When a red flag is raised, they investigate. If anything is found, the IRS or DOR will send an IRS notice or letter. If you are not represented by an experienced tax settlement lawyer, they may use intimidation tactics in their efforts to obtain what they claim you owe. They may also take advantage of your inexperience to get you to agree to a settlement that does not favor you, your interests, or your financial situation.
At Birk Law Firm, we are known for our experience, knowledge, and skill when working or negotiating with the IRS and DOR. We will not accept outcomes that are detrimental to our clients. We do this in several ways, which all come down to identifying the best possible outcome and finding the best method to secure that outcome.
Possible Outcomes in a Favorable Tax Settlement
Outcomes are unique to each client and case. We can help you in a number of ways, some of which include:
- Settling back taxes for less than what is owed
- Putting a hold on or stopping wage garnishments
- Handling a bank account levy
- Handling Missouri or IRS tax liens
- Correcting or filing delinquent Missouri or federal tax returns.
When any of these or other matters are dealt with, we negotiate the best means for you to pay what debt remains to the IRS or Department of Revenue.
Finding the Right Tax Settlement Solution
Though there are many solutions to tax issues with the IRS or DOR, the two main methods to resolve tax disputes are through either an installment agreement or offer in compromise.
Installment Agreements
An installment agreement is an agreement to pay back your tax debt through equal monthly payments. The number of installments and the amount of each payment is dependent on what you owe after we have negotiated and saved you on applicable fees and other costs. The IRS or DOR will also consider your ability to pay the tax debt to determine a reasonable monthly payment and number of installments until the debt is paid. Usually, payments are electronic and easy to manage once the agreement is negotiated, set up, and executed.
Offers in Compromise
An offer in compromise is another type of agreement where you offer to pay less than the total outstanding tax debt. These agreements require more strategic negotiation but can be quite beneficial. The IRS or DOR accept offers in compromise when they believe you cannot or will not be able to pay your tax debt in full, either in a single payment or by an installment agreement.
A favorable tax settlement can be the thing you need to get your life or business back on track. Contact us immediately at 573-332-8585 to schedule a free consultation. We will discuss your case, overall expectations, and the process moving forward.
Tax Settlement FAQs
Settling taxes can be a confusing and frustrating experience. That’s why at Birk Law Firm, we work closely with our clients to ensure they get the guidance and support they need. Here, we answer some of the first questions clients have when they meet with us during their no-obligation, initial consultation.
To get more detailed answers to specific questions about your unique tax situation, schedule your own free initial consultation with our tax settlement attorney in Cape Girardeau. Call us today at 573-332-8585 to get started.
Generally, you want to settle your tax issues with the IRS to stop or limit the harassing phone calls, the wage garnishments, any bank account levies, tax penalties, and more. The IRS or DOR want their money. But there’s this, too: you could face criminal charges if you do not pay your tax debt.
The important aspect of tax fraud is your mental state: Did you willfully or intentionally commit acts to avoid paying taxes?
When you do not pay your taxes or fail to properly file your state or federal tax returns in any way, shape, or form, you may be penalized for it. Penalties are primarily monetary and add up quickly. You can, however, get penalty abatement through the DOR or IRS, like when . . .
- You do not file information returns or provide payee statements on time
- You fail to file by the due date
- You fail to pay the tax you report on your tax return by the due date or approved extended due date
- Your return(s) are not accurate because you underpaid the tax shown on your tax return
- You paid the taxes by check but the bank dishonors the check because not enough funds are available
- An employer fails to make employment tax deposits on time, in the right amount, and/or in the right way
- A corporation fails to pay enough estimated tax payments or pays them late.
There are other types of penalties, too, but in any of these or other situations, you may qualify for penalty relief. To be clear, however, the IRS is not lenient in this regard. Your request for penalty relief must be well-supported and persuasively drafted.
You cannot settle a tax issue with the IRS or DOR unless you are in compliance. Compliance means you have filed your taxes for the missing years, and this is true regardless of how many tax returns you need to file and however late they may be. Once your past due tax returns are processed, we can begin to assess the possible solutions available to you and begin our negotiations with the IRS or DOR.
Yes, you have rights. The IRS Taxpayer Bill of Rights specifically states that you have:
- The right to be informed
- The right to quality service
- The right to pay no more than the correct amount of tax
- The right to challenge the IRS’s position and be heard
- The right to appeal an IRS decision in an independent forum
- The right to finality
- The right to privacy
- The right to confidentiality
- The right to retain representation
- The right to a fair and just tax system.
Importantly, regarding the right to a fair and just tax system, you have the right to expect the tax system to consider facts and circumstances that might affect your underlying liabilities, ability to pay, or ability to provide information in a timely fashion.
Missouri’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights offers some of the same and more rights and expectations. At Birk Law Firm, we understand what your rights are and use them to protect your interests and ensure that the state or federal government settles tax disputes honestly and fairly.
If an installment agreement or offer in compromise results in payments too much for you to afford, and if lien removal, levy release, or penalty abatement does not address your financial concerns, there is one other option: current non collectible status (CNC). If you absolutely cannot pay off back taxes, penalties, and/or interest due, then you can request CNC status. The IRS will likely ask for proof, including financial information. It may also request that you file any unfiled tax returns.
If you are placed in CNC status, the IRS will not levy assets or income. Your account will also be temporarily closed. The caveat here is this: you still will owe the IRS. When your financial situation improves, they can reopen the case and take action.
It is always best, if possible, to fight for the best tax settlement solution now rather than wait to do so in the future.
One of the most common reasons people or businesses fail to file properly completed tax returns is that they have not kept up with the changing tax laws. Tax laws do not change yearly, but they change frequently enough that you want to be certain you are complying. By contacting the Birk Law Firm and building a relationship with us, we can make sure you are kept up to date on all matters related to your taxes and ensure that you file timely and properly in the future. This is the single best way to avoid any future problems with the IRS.
Contact a Resourceful IRS Tax Settlement Attorney in Missouri Today
Failure to file tax returns timely or failure to file them properly and accurately can be costly. When there’s a red flag, the DOR or IRS may audit your taxes and penalties and interest can be applied. This all adds up and can leave you or your business in financial dire straits.
As soon as you receive a Notice or Letter, promptly contact Kelvin Birk, a trusted CPA and skilled tax lawyer located right here in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The sooner we can get started on strategizing, the better we will be able to respond and negotiate with the Internal Revenue Service or Missouri Department of Revenue. Contact us today at 573-332-8585 to schedule a free initial consultation and to learn more about the process and possible outcomes available to you.
Attorney Kelvin Birk
Kelvin Birk is a lawyer as well as a certified public accountant, with more than 30 years of experience in accounting and tax and business consulting, and more than 20 years of experience in numerous legal matters. This combined expertise allows our law firm to provide a level of service above that of other firms. Whatever your legal situation, your attorney at Birk Law Firm can counsel you as to the tax implications. We have experience in providing myriad legal representation services to residents of southeast Missouri and other areas. [ Attorney Bio ]
ALL YOUR LEGAL NEEDS
Why Choose Birk Law?
Birk Law Firm is a small firm by choice that is big on client services. Attorney Kelvin Birk and his team are responsive to their clients’ needs. When we sign on as your law firm, you can count on us for strong legal counsel, from negotiations to settlement to trial.
Our clients benefit from the intertwining of Kelvin Birk’s legal and CPA background and experience. We provide well-rounded advice to solve both legal and financial issues and to come up with creative solutions. We use modern technology to deliver legal services in a more efficient and client-focused manner than was previously possible.
We provide personalized and compassionate service. We believe that each client’s matter is the most important matter in the world to them, and we strive to treat it that way.
