Need advice on IRS payment plan for 2021 taxes - what to expect and how to prepare?
Hey everyone, I need some advice on setting up a payment plan for my 2021 taxes. I owe a decent amount and I'm not sure how to approach this with the IRS. Has anyone gone through this process recently? What should I expect when I call them? Any tips or scripts you can share would be really helpful. I'm kinda nervous about making this call and want to be prepared.
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Drake
I went through this last year. Here's a basic script that worked for me: 1. Introduce yourself and state why you're calling (to set up a payment plan for 2021 taxes) 2. Tell them how much you owe 3. Ask about available payment plans 4. Get details on terms and conditions 5. Find out what docs you need to provide Just be polite and honest about your situation. They deal with this all the time, so don't stress too much!
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Sarah Jones
•This is super helpful, thanks for sharing! Did they give you any trouble or were they pretty understanding?
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Drake
•They were actually pretty chill about it. As long as you're upfront and show you want to pay, they'll work with you.
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Sebastian Scott
•How long did the whole process take? I'm worried about being on hold forever 😩
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Drake
•Ugh, the hold times can be brutal. I think I waited like 2 hours? But the actual convo was only about 15-20 mins.
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Emily Sanjay
word of advice: DONT agree to any payment plan you cant afford longterm. better to negotiate something realistic than default later
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Jordan Walker
Has anyone tried negotiating the amount owed? I've heard sometimes they'll settle for less if you can pay a lump sum.
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Natalie Adams
•That's called an Offer in Compromise. It's a whole different process and can be tricky to qualify for. Might be worth looking into tho!
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Elijah O'Reilly
•I tried that once. It's a LOT of paperwork and they really dig into your finances. Didn't work out for me, but YMMV 🤷♂️
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Amara Torres
Pro tip: if you set up direct debit for your payments, they'll waive some of the fees. Saved me a decent chunk when I did my plan.
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Gabriel Graham
•Oh that's good to know! Thanks for the heads up, I'll definitely ask about that option.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
Guys, I found a way to actually get someone on the phone without the insane wait times. I used this site called claimyr.com - it's a calling tool that dials through the phone menu, stays on hold, and then connects you when a live agent picks up. It costs $20, but it saved me hours of frustration. Here's a video about how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c
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Mason Kaczka
•Sounds too good to be true. Is this legit or some kind of scam?
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•Nah, it's legit. I was skeptical too but it actually worked. Saved me from pulling my hair out on hold lol
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Sophia Russo
•How exactly does it work? Do they just keep redialing or what?
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Olivia Van-Cleve
•From what I understand, they use some kind of AI to navigate the phone menus and detect when a human picks up. Then it calls you to connect. Pretty clever tbh
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Evelyn Xu
Whatever you do, make sure you file your return on time even if you can't pay the full amount. The penalty for not filing is way worse than the penalty for not paying.
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Dominic Green
•💯 this! I learned this the hard way and got slapped with some nasty fees. Don't be like me lol
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Hannah Flores
am i the only 1 who thinks its ridiculous we have to jump thru all these hoops just to pay our taxes? the system is so broken 🤦♂️
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Kayla Jacobson
•Preach! 👏 It's like they make it complicated on purpose
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William Rivera
•Seriously! In some countries, the govt just sends you a bill. Why can't we have that?
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Grace Lee
Quick question - does setting up a payment plan affect your credit score at all? I'm in the process of buying a house and I'm worried this might mess things up.
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Mia Roberts
•It shouldn't affect your credit score directly, but the tax lien might show up on your credit report. Might wanna talk to your mortgage broker about it.
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The Boss
Just remember, the person on the other end of the line is human too. Be nice, and they're more likely to help you out. I used to work in a call center (not IRS, but still), and the people who were polite always got better service.
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