Burkhart, Peterson & Company

Proper research must be done in order to bring a complete understanding to existing tax problems. After years of non-filing or non-payment, it becomes difficult to recall exactly what remains unfiled or unpaid. Effectively communicating with the IRS or a state agency is sometimes difficult to do and can become very confusing. Trying to determine your account status from IRS or state agency mail is not always an easy task. Failure to conduct the proper background research before proceeding to resolve a problem can lead to countless mistakes, including filing tax returns for periods that have already been filed, misinterpreting amounts owed, etc.

Our firm has established contacts within special areas of the IRS and various state taxing authorities so we can quickly secure accurate background information about our clients' accounts. We can even obtain account transcripts in writing, which eliminates the possibility of being misinformed by a government employee. This is typically the first step taken on every case, so that we can be certain of exactly what needs to be done to resolve filing delinquencies or what tax amnesty options may exist for resolving tax, penalty and interest balances owed.

While conducting the background research, we are able to secure annual earnings summaries from the IRS. The annual earnings summaries disclose everything that was reported to the IRS under a person's Social Security Number or a business's Employer Identification Number for each year that is still available. Having this information allows us to be sure to report any income previously reported to the IRS by an employer or business customer. Filing tax returns that omit income is probably the most common cause of an IRS audit. It is very important to have the IRS's earnings information and to reference them while preparing tax returns. This reduces the chance of omissions and of bigger problems down the road.

Account transcripts and information obtained as a result of our research also helps to determine what tax amnesty options may be best to pursue. These transcripts allow us to determine when an existing tax liability may expire, whether or not a separated or divorced spouse may be eligible for certain relief programs, when a tax liability may be eligible for a bankruptcy discharge, how much of a tax balance consists of penalties that could potentially be removed from an account balance, etc. A careful analysis should always be made of the account transcripts before deciding upon which tax amnesty option to pursue to resolve an existing problem.

If you have a tax-filing or tax-payment delinquency, contact our office so that you can perfectly understand your current situation and the options available for resolving it.