Innocent Spouse Relief is covered by United States tax law. It saves an individual from liabilities and any possible penalties that may occur when the spouse does not pay the taxes. Such relief is made to protect individuals who might have to face hardships and die for their spouse’s wrongdoings.
The IRS in Dallas understands that there are marriages in which the person might not be aware of inaccurate financial statements due to the negligence of the spouse. Such relief is usually considered and seen in divorced couples, separated ones, etc.
The partner who is not responsible for the issues must be protected, and therefore, such relief is provided. In order to use such relief, the person will have to show that they were not aware of the understatements made by their partner in their joint tax return.
Residents in Dallas will have to go through a complex procedure, as seen in any other part of the United States. Therefore, it is essential to have tax resolution services in Dallas, as they can help navigate the complex landscape.
What are the eligibility criteria for innocent spouse relief?
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Providing proof of the understatement.
In order to be able to get innocent spouse relief, you need to prove that you were not aware of the misdeeds caused by your partner. Proof needs to be in the form of a document, such as records of communication and other documents.
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Fill out a form including the following details:
You must also have filed a “joint tax return” to take advantage of this. The 8857 form needs to be filled out by the individual. It will ask in detail about your financial records, marital status, and what exactly led to the financial understatement.
You may ask a tax professional to provide detailed information on how you are supposed to fill out the form. They can help you in filling the form accurately and without any mistakes. If any errors are found in the document, it can lead to further delay. Therefore, help from a professional is much better.
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Signs of abuse need to be documented.
The IRS will consider your plea if there have been signs of abuse. If you were subjected to abuse by your spouse, you need to document that. To make your claim more robust, reports from the cops can come in handy; testimony from your therapist can also be of great significance and can prove to be helpful.
If there is any evidence of coercion (forcing someone to do something without their will), you can document that as well. It will make the IRS understand why you might have remained ignorant of the misdeeds caused by your spouse.
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Proving that holding you liable would not be fair.
An evaluation is made to determine whether it would be appropriate to hold you responsible for the tax debts. Things like your role in managing finances, your financial situation at the moment, etc., will determine whether to hold you liable or not.
Suppose it was seen that you did not have much say in the decisions made around finances. Furthermore, if you were deprived of the benefits, the case could turn in your favor by a significant amount. In this way, it can be proved that it would not be fair to hold you responsible for someone else’s misdeeds.
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Filing a petition in case your claim is denied.
If you have filed for innocent spouse relief and your claim gets denied, you can file a petition. What you can do is provide enough evidence to support your claim. You can also hire an attorney to present your claim in the court.
Make the complex processes easier with tax resolution services!
Tax resolution specialists have experience in dealing with people in the IRS (Internal Revenue System). Therefore, they can help you make your claim strong and navigate seamlessly through the complexities.
