The IRS is Not Your Enemy

I have seen an explosion of commercials over the last few years advertising services to assist people who owe back taxes to the I.R.S. or who have not filed taxes for one or more years.  It is unreal the number of commercials you see promising the tax payer they can help them settle what they owe for pennies on the dollar.

Each of these ads play on an already present fear most people have of the I.R.S..  You don’t have to have done anything wrong to lose your breath or swallow hard if you receive anything in the mail with the I.R.S. logo on it.  Afterall, I am not a speeder or criminal of any kind, therefore I have no reason to fear the police when I see them at the side of the road.  It is a healthy respect for the law that causes you to jerk the ol’ knee and check your speed as your heart flutters a bit.  Once you realize you are good on speed, you feel a little silly and continue on down the road.  It’s this same healthy fear we all should have regarding the I.R.S. and our taxes.

However, there are companies who would like to take this healthy fear and turn it into unhealthy and traumatic fear.  They will tell you that if you haven’t filed your taxes or you owe back taxes, the I.R.S. can garnish your wages, put liens on your bank accounts and property, or even put you in jail. 

Is any of that a lie?  NO, not at all.  They soon follow-up this kind of basically true statement with something like, “never deal with the I.R.S. yourself, they can ruin your life, you may lose your house, your job or worse, go to prison.”  See what I mean.

Then comes the big, we have ex-I.R.S. agents who will fight your case for you.  Their experience will keep all these terrible things from ruining your life forever.  They lead you on to believe without their help you will never get out of debt with the I.R.S.. Do you feel the plastic bag slipping over your head yet?

My friends, the truth is this: The I.R.S. is not the enemy.  Everybody in the United States of America grows up from a very young age knowing when they get older like mommy and daddy they will have to pay taxes too!