Learn
Independent documentation of federal tax procedure. No advice. No sales language. Clear reference material for understanding your tax compliance status.
Start Here: Understanding IRS Compliance
New to IRS compliance questions? Start with these three foundational resources:
Hiring & Verification
How to protect yourself before, during, and after hiring tax help.
Step-by-step guide to independently verifying what your tax preparer, CPA, or tax relief company actually filed with the IRS.
What every taxpayer should do before hiring a tax relief company, CPA, or enrolled agent. Set benchmarks and verify credentials.
Why IRS notices keep arriving even after you've hired help. How to use IRS transcripts to understand your actual account status.
Understanding Tax Compliance
Procedural guides and procedural documentation.
What IRS account transcripts show, how to request them, and how to read key sections.
The procedural obligations the IRS enforces and what "current" actually means.
The pattern of IRS correspondence and what each notice type signals about your account.
The Substitute for Return process—how the IRS identifies non-filers and what happens when they file for you.
Understanding IRS levy authority, the notice sequence before seizure, and what assets can be taken.
How liens and levies differ, when each occurs, and how each affects your property and finances.
Federal filing obligations by entity type—sole proprietor, partnership, S corp, C corp—and what the IRS requires.
Form 941, Form 940, trust fund deposits, and the employment tax obligations the IRS enforces.
How the IRS assesses TFRP against responsible persons and what triggers personal liability for payroll taxes.
How these IRS review types differ, what each involves, and what they signal about your account.
The records that actually demonstrate a tax professional filed paperwork with the IRS.
Decode transaction codes, understand dates and balances, and identify what your transcript reveals.
Common Situations
Articles addressing specific problem states and search intents.
You paid for help but the IRS keeps sending notices. What this means and how to verify what was actually done.
Signs that returns were never submitted, what IRS records reveal, and how to determine your actual filing status.
The only way to verify filing status is through IRS records. How to confirm what was received.
You filed returns yourself but the IRS has no record. What causes this and how to verify what the IRS received.
IRS says they have no record of your return. What this actually means and what to do next.
You set up a payment plan but notices keep coming. What this signals and how to verify your arrangement status.
The IRS believes your return underreports income. What this notice means and how to verify the discrepancy.
Balance due notices escalate toward enforcement. What each notice signals and what to verify in your account.
The IRS shows a balance but you made payments. Why this happens and how to verify what was applied.
IRS is asking about old tax years. How to determine what happened and what the IRS has on file.
You missed the response window. What the IRS does next and what options remain.
You paid someone to do tax work. How to confirm it was actually filed with the IRS.
You hired help. Time passed. Nothing changed. What this means and what to check.
What does compliant actually mean? How to verify your returns are filed and payments current.
Reference Library
Glossary, FAQ, and quick reference materials.