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What do you do when there is an invalid charged-off debt?

TaxAct

What do you do when there is an invalid charged-off debt?

It’s nothing new to hear or see a dispute between the tax payers and the IRS. Of course, there are quite a few reasons behind the disputes, but most commonly these disputes involve examination and/or collection issues and also the different interpretations of tax law. The IRS reporting a charged-off account on the credit report also proves to be a great hassle for more reasons than one. Now, if you happen to be one of those whose credit report shows charged-off tax accounts and that too having been reported by the IRS, then it’s definitely worth disputing. In fact, if you sit on it without taking heed, then this’ll definitely have a negative impact on your credit rating and that can be far worse than not having accrued debt, yet souring your credit.

What’s a charge-off debt actually?

Before you get into surmises about what exactly charged-off debt is all about, it’s important for you to understand the concept behind a charged-off debt in the first place. A charge-off debt actually happens to be that debt which has been determined uncollectible by the original creditor and that’s usually done after the debtor is seriously delinquent. Now, it’s only after 6 months that charge-offs are known to occur. Moreover, creditors still have the right to collect on the charge-offs because the debt still remains valid. Charge-offs are also known to appear on your credit report at least for 7 years since the debt appears.

Hence, it’s obvious that you’d like to validate your debts before coming to any conclusion about whether or not you should dispute the charge-offs. Debt validation is necessary like you do when going for the programs aimed to solve your financial problems. In this case too, debt validation programs serve the purpose of telling you for sure whether or not you can dispute the charged-off account with the IRS.

How’ll you dispute a charged-off debt with the IRS?

As a taxpayer who’s looking to dispute a charged-off debt, it’s rather important that you evaluate all possible options before taking any conclusive steps. Have a look at the steps discussed below and you should know how you can dispute a charged-off debt with the IRS.

  1. Write out a formal protest: The very first thing you should do is write out a formal protest and request a review with the IRS Appeals Office. If an issue arises, then the IRS is bound to issue a Notice of Proposed Adjustment (NOPA), Form 5701 which details the position of the IRS regarding particular financial matters. You might as well reply to this by citing tax laws and other substantial evidences to support your position.

  1. Review alternative dispute methods: You should also try and review alternative dispute methods that might be available. Generally there are 4 alternate dispute resolution tools available at the IRS Appeals Office – early referral to appeals, fast track settlement, post appeals mediation and delegation orders. You can request the tax office for early referral to the Appeals Office.

  1. Look for the best method: It’s always advisable that you peruse for the best method when it comes to your particular case of disputing charged-off accounts. Advisably since it’s a dispute, hence you might as well take the assistance of a tax professional. The ultimate option of course remains litigation in a tax court or federal district court.

Keep in mind the above instances and steps when looking to dispute your charged-off debts with the IRS for unless you’re sure about what you’re doing, things can get even messier ultimately. Take heed now and conclude things smoothly.