If you owe money to the IRS, you face possible seizure of your assets such as wage garnishment or a bank levy. In some rare cases, the IRS can even foreclose on your home. This post is intended to give you some basic knowledge of what an IRS levy is and what you can do if your are the target of an IRS levy. To keep things simple, I will confine my discussion to wage garnishments and bank levies. Just be aware that the IRS can levy on almost every asset imaginable.
What is a levy?
A levy is simply a seizure of a taxpayer’s assets to pay a tax debt. It should not be confused with a tax lien, which is a claim placed on real estate or personal property. Liens are passive collection measures; the IRS will place the lien on your property and then wait for you to sell it, at which point the IRS will be paid. Levies, on the other hand, are an active collection measure; the IRS can take action immediately to seize property to satisfy your tax debt. Often levies are intended to be a wake-up call to delinquent taxpayers, the idea is to encourage the taxpayer to take immediate steps to address their tax liability. I can tell you from personal experience that a levy does indeed get a client’s attention.
Under what circumstances can the IRS levy my assets?
As I said earlier, the IRS uses tax levies to either get assets to pay any taxes due or to force the taxpayer to enter into some payment arrangement to address the delinquency. So in deciding whether or not to levy a taxpayer’s assets the IRS will consider the following circumstances:
- The taxpayer’s financial condition, including whether the levy will create an economic hardship for the taxpayer
- The taxpayer’s responsiveness to attempts at contact and collection
- The taxpayer’s filing and paying compliance history
- The taxpayer’s effort to pay the tax
- Whether current taxes are being paid
As you can see, you are more likely to face a levy if you have not been reactive to prior attempts to settle your tax debt. Even more so if you are in the habit of not being compliant with filing your tax returns and paying any taxes due.
Once the IRS has identified a taxpayer who is fit for a levy, the IRS will take certain steps to encourage the taxpayer to get compliant and avoid the levy. First, the IRS will ensure that were sent CP 501, a Notice and Demand for Payment regarding you tax liability. Second, the IRS will confirm that you either failed or refused to pay the tax due. Finally, the IRS sent you CP 90, a Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to A Hearing (levy notice) at least 30 days before the levy.
TIP – Often taxpayer will tell me that they had no idea the IRS intended to levy their assets. It is a very rare circumstance that the IRS levies on a taxpayer without prior notice. So don’t ignore any IRS notices! Attempt to resolve your tax debts and make sure to do your taxes on time and pay any amounts due. This will significantly reduce the likelihood of a levy. You can see a sample notice here.
What happens after the IRS determines my assets should be levied?
After the IRS determines a levy is appropriate and it confirms that it has followed all the required steps, the IRS will send paperwork to your employer or bank informing them that there is a levy in place.
Where the IRS garnishes your wages, the IRS will take a portion of your wages each pay period until you make arrangements with the IRS, the taxes are paid in full or the levy is otherwise released. Your employer will receive information on how much should be withheld from your paycheck and forwarded to the IRS.
To properly determine the amount to withhold, your employer is required to provide you with a Statement of Exemptions and Filing Status to complete and return within three days. Failure to return the statement within the required time frame means the employer is required to withhold the maximum amount possible. You also need to be aware that if you are to receive a bonus then 100% of the bonus may be payable to the IRS! This depends on whether or not you were paid in the same pay period as the bonus payment.
In the case of a bank levy, your bank will receive a levy notice from the IRS, requiring it to hold the balance of your account for 21 days. The reason for the hold is to allow you, the taxpayer, time to make payment arrangements or contest the levy. After the 21 days have passed the bank will pay the funds seized, as of the date of the levy, to the IRS. Funds subsequently deposited into your account, after the date of the levy, are not seized and so you can use the funds as you did before the levy. For example, if you have $1,000 in your account on the date of the levy, with another $1,000 deposited the following day, then the bank will hold the first $1,000 for 20 days; the remaining $1,000 is free to use by you.
What can I do to have the levy released?
The IRS will release the levy under the following circumstances:
- You pay what you owe
- The time period for collection ends
- You enter into a payment arrangement with the IRS
- The levy creates an economic hardship
- The value of the seized asset is sufficient to cover any tax due and releasing the levy will not hinder the collection of the tax due
Economic hardship requires some explanation. It does not mean you are inconvenienced by the levy or that you can’t pay all your bills. Instead, economic hardship means the IRS has determined the levy prevents you from meeting basic, reasonable living expenses. Emphasis on the IRS determination. You will need to provide proof that you qualify for economic hardship before the levy will be released.
The best way to have a levy released is to not allow the levy in the first instance. The notice of intent to levy provides appeal rights, which means you have an opportunity to work something out with the IRS or challenge the IRS’ determination to levy your assets. The key is to be proactive before the levy is filed.
Is there anything else I can do?
Yes, call a tax professional immediately. If you owe taxes and the IRS has filed a levy against your wages or bank account you are at risk of future levies. Quick action is demanded to obtain the return of your money or to stop any wage garnishments. You should not take a levy action lightly!