Last week, a federal judge ruled that a man was guilty of threatening an agent of the Internal Revenue Service. Apparently the agent was trying to handle a $330,000 tax bill that the man owed from three years of back taxes (2008, 2009 and 2010). The incident is an ugly one, as the man threatened to kill the agent and his wife, among other gruesome things. The whole story seems like something out of a movie.
When the man is sentenced in a few months, he could receive up to 20 years in prison. The article does not specify what will happen to the man’s tax bill.
We’re writing about this unfortunate story today because it is a very real cautionary tale to everyone who may have tax debt or back taxes. Yes, the man’s actions in this case were extreme and incredibly disturbing, and he’s paying the price for that. Obviously, you shouldn’t act like he did. But many people reject the IRS in ways similar to this story — just on a smaller and far less threatening manner.
What we mean is, many people with tax debt either ignore the IRS’s requests or calls, or they act irrationally in some other way, thus costing them in the long run. Burying your head in the sand is not going to make your tax debt go away. You’ve got to confront it head on and appropriately. An experienced tax law attorney can help you in this regard, ensuring that you are treated right and that you are going about the process properly.
Source: Huffington Post, “Man Threatened IRS Agent’s Life Over Massive Tax Debt: Judge,” Associated Press, May 26, 2014