Saturday, July 14, 2018

Innocent Spouse Relief Houston TX Partners Claim Must Pass These Basic Requirements

By Ann Wallace


Virtually no American wants to receive unexpected mail from the Internal Revenue Service. It's never good news, and it can be scary. If you have gotten a notice that the IRS is reviewing your tax returns because they are suspicious that you and your spouse underestimated your tax obligation, you have a few options. First you have to understand the basics of the innocent spouse relief Houston TX husbands and wives apply for.

You may qualify for this option when you and your husband filed jointly, and he is believed to have knowingly underestimated the amount of money he earned and the taxes he's responsible for. You can petition the IRS so as not to be liable yourself for any of his additional taxes, penalties, and interest. Laws change periodically, but the three classic requirements must be established. You must show that it was your partner who filed incorrect information about his own earnings.

Secondly, you must prove that, when you signed the returns, you had no knowledge that your partner was underestimating his taxes. There must have been no underlying reason for you to know. If you had knowledge, then your won't qualify for relief.

IRS officers will investigate your claims to determine whether or not they are valid. They base their decision on a number of things. Whether you directly, and substantially, benefited from your partner's misrepresentation will influence their decision. They also look at factors like whether the two of you are still married, are legally separated, or have gotten a divorce.

Once you have determined, in your mind, that you should qualify, you need to file form 8857. You need to do this carefully, with as much detail as possible. On the questions that ask for an explanation, you should give one fully with as much documentation attached as is pertinent. The more information you provide the better your chances that the Internal Revenue Service will approve your petition.

There are different types of relief, and you need to know which one best suits your case. The responses you give should reflect that. It's a good idea to include a personal letter outlining everything you have detailed in the form. You need to give specific reasons and examples of how and why you should not be held responsible for what your partner did.

Although the IRS has changed the deadline to file one of these petitions, the sooner you do it the better. The deadline was two years, but has been increased. You may get an indication that something is wrong if you get a notice that your tax returns are being investigated. This notice will tell you that the IRS suspects taxes have been underestimated.

The IRS can deal harshly with someone who deliberately misleads them. You don't want to be in the middle of this kind of situation when you can help it. Filing as an innocent spouse is a good way to indicate you had no knowledge of any wrongdoing.




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