Tax Problems? Never Be Embarrassed to Seek Professional Help –You are in Good Company
As a tax attorney with many years of experience both within and outside the government, I have experienced both sides of the equation. In addition to analyzing and litigating complex legal principles in the Tax Court on behalf of the government, I often had to listen to “hard luck cases” and try to understand how and why taxpayers could possibly end up in their predicament. Being in the ivory tower of government can sometimes remove you from business realities and make you believe that there is evil intent involved when a taxpayer gets into a fix. Stories would begin to all sound the same, and it would become hard to trust a “sob story”; granted there were indeed cases of fraud and misdeeds, but my experience since then has shown a less nefarious reality. For many years I have had to similarly listen to my clients’ situations and have myself had “real life” experience in running my own business as well as assisting others in doing the same. It became clear that the slippery slope downward into the abyss can simply happen to anyone due to circumstances beyond their control and does not necessarily involve an evil intent to avoid or evade taxes.
Some situations can of course seem to be self-inflicted, through mismanagement and poor choices, but many situations – especially with economic downturns – have involved formerly financially stable individuals or companies who tried to do everything the right way. Due to circumstances beyond their control, they entered the abyss of not being able to meet financial obligations, including tax obligations. When governmental entities fail to timely pay their private contractors, when businesses fail to pay their suppliers or independent servicers because they themselves are not being paid, when customers fail to pay for goods or services, there is a chain reaction. Businesses who cannot collect their receivables cannot meet their payroll, pay their equipment leases, pay their rent or commercial mortgage, the list goes on. The failure of one leads to subsequent failures of others to in turn meet their obligations. Unfortunately, just to keep their enterprises going, some often pay the “tax man” last or not at all. Some cannot stomach laying off long-term devoted loyal employees with families in order to save on payroll costs, so the choices become very difficult. This happens on the individual level also – should one pay their mortgage or their estimated taxes?
The key here is that this is happening more and more often, to the most upstanding citizens formerly sailing through and now just trying to get by. Many find themselves in foreclosure or on the verge of bankruptcy. It can be a state of chaos that is embarrassing to admit, it feels like failure, a weight that presses on your chest where you cannot sleep at night. I’ve seen the most seasoned professionals and business leaders nearly break in half from the pressure of these responsibilities, feeling they have no control over the outcome, all the while trying to “do the right thing.”
This is where I come into the picture. Never be so embarrassed or defeated that you feel you cannot seek help, because there is help. First, as a licensed attorney, I am obligated to keep everything confidential, so there is no need to be concerned that your financial or tax problems will ever be disclosed; unlike many other professions, I am bound by attorney-client privilege. Second, you might find this hard to believe, but both the IRS and New York State at their core do want taxpayers to remain solvent and viable income-producing and tax-paying entities. It is in the government’s best interest to keep the tax revenues flowing. If they can in any way assist in helping you to “make good” on past liabilities and also keep you on the right track for now and in the future, that is the ultimate goal. They simply want compliance, and my job is to reach a consensus on how to get a taxpayer into compliance and to take care of unpaid liabilities. There are options to accomplish this and to achieve peace of mind. It is a matter of having someone to navigate the process for you, take that pressure off of you, and to reach a resolution on your behalf. Never be embarrassed to seek help, even if you have never needed to do so before. I can only reassure you by saying, you are NOT the only one.