We're offering tax help for individuals, families, businesses, tax-exempt organizations and others – including health plans – affected by coronavirus.

We offer a free review of tax cases and more information about how to apply for the IRS Fresh Start Program.

Completed IRS forms 656 and 433-A. You can file Form 656L if you feel the tax debt is not yours or does not exist.

Without sufficient evidence, the IRS will not accept any request for tax relief under the Fresh Start Initiative. Send as many supporting documents as possible when submitting a request. The best evidence to support the strict IRS Fresh Start Program requirements is documentation. Documentation you will need to include, but is not limited, doctor/medical reports, fire department reports and insurance claims. You also need student loan statements, student loan statements and death certificates from family members. A letter explaining your personal circumstances and the reasons you cannot pay your tax debt should be included with your Form 843. To be eligible for tax relief under the Fresh Start Program, all missing or unfiled tax returns must be filed. Your estimated tax payments must also be current and your withholdings must be accurate. All filings from the past six months must also be correct or current. Contacting a professional tax relief firm is the best way to avoid your request being denied. A tax relief company can assist you in filing a letter of appeal even if your request is denied by the IRS.

Although "Fresh Start Initiative 2020" was a popular search term just a few years back, the current economic climate suggests that the program is still in demand. These are some of the requirements to be eligible for tax debt relief.

The Administration collaborated with a non-profit, Code for America, who created a non-filer sign-up tool that is easy to use on a mobile phone and also available in Spanish. The deadline to sign up for monthly Child Tax Credit payments this year was November 15. If you are eligible for the Child Tax Credit but did not sign up for monthly payments by the November 15 deadline, you can still claim the full credit of up to $3,600 per child by filing your taxes next year.

Effective Tax Administration (or ETA) offers may apply where the taxpayer is ineligible for an offer in compromise based on either a theory of Doubt as to Liability or Doubt as to Collectability. The taxpayer must establish that collecting on the tax liability would cause economic hardship, or - in the alternative - "where compelling public policy or equity considerations identified by the taxpayer provide a sufficient basis for accepting less than full payment."

If you qualify for an OIC, the IRS will then determine how much it will accept from you to settle the debt. This offer amount is also called the reasonable collection potential (RCP). It’s the amount that the IRS can reasonably collect from you before the collection statute expires.

After reading through this article, you should understand that the Fresh Start tax initiative is a good idea if you owe the IRS and can’t pay off your tax debt in full.

Currently Non-Collectible status is not a Fresh Start tax program like the others. It's a status and not a form for tax relief. If the taxpayer is unable to pay their taxes, the IRS may place them in Currently Non Collectible Status. This status does not automatically remove tax debt but it does stop collection activities. This includes wage garnishments, bank levies and tax liens. The Currently Non-Collectible status allows taxpayers to receive Fresh Start tax relief in peace without the IRS following them. You must meet the IRS Fresh Start Program requirements to be eligible for Currently Not-Collectible Status. We discuss these qualifications below. Before requesting the status from the IRS, it is a good idea to consult a tax professional. The IRS will try to convince you to accept terms that are better for you if you apply for the IRS Fresh Start Initiative Program by yourself. The IRS will resume collecting on your payments once the Currently Non-Collectible status ends. They will also continue to send letters and phone calls threatening penalties. Tax relief companies can help you maintain your Currently Non-Collectible Status as long as you can and help you plan for when you will leave Non-Collectible Status.

If your business owes taxes, you could also be eligible for the Fresh Start Program. In this scenario, you will need to meet the following requirements:

Currently Non Collectible Status is not the same as the other Fresh Start programs. This status is more of a "status" than a source of Fresh Start relief. If the taxpayer is in default of paying their taxes, the IRS can place them in Currently Non-Collectible Statute. The status does not remove tax debt. However, it does stop all collection activities. These include bank levies, wage garnishments tax liens and threats letters from the IRS. Currently non-collectible status allows a taxpayer peace of mind to get Fresh Start tax relief without the IRS going after them. To be eligible for the Currently Non-Collectible status, you must meet the IRS Fresh Start Program eligibility requirements, which we will discuss below. The IRS strongly recommends that you consult a tax professional prior to requesting this status. The IRS will not allow you to apply to the IRS Fresh Start Initiative Program alone. They will instead try to get you to accept terms that make sense for them. Once your Currently Collectible Status is over, the IRS may attempt to get you to agree to terms that are more favorable for them. The IRS will then continue their collection efforts, including phone calls and letters warning of penalties. A tax relief organization can help keep you in Currently Non Collectible Status as long and can also help to plan for your exit from Non-Collectible Status.