An Installment Agreement (IA) allows a taxpayer to pay off their balance over a period of time, typically ranging from 6 months up to 10 years. Depending on the amount owed to the IRS, the period can vary.  There are many types of Installment Agreements available to you and Rockwater works to determine the best option for you.  We work with you to determine the amount of each monthly payment based specifically on your personal assets, property and other financial information before negotiating with the IRS to achieve the best reoccurring payment plan possible for you

Rockwater Associates can make a formal request detailing reasonable cause can be made to the taxing authorities to reduce or eliminate your tax penalties on your liability.   A First Time Penalty Abatement allows a first-time non compliant taxpayer to request abatement of certain penalties for a single tax period.  The IRS will also consider forgiving late payment, late filing, and accuracy-related penalties based on reasonable cause. 

Taxpayers that are not currently in financial hardship, but may be very close to that threshold, may be able to qualify for an Offer In Compromise. This mostly applies to those who would be put into financial hardship if they added tax debt payments to their current list of expenses. In this situation, the IRS determines the maximum amount they would be able to get from a taxpayer without causing financial hardship. Then the remainder of the debt is forgiven and the individual is released from their liability as soon as the taxpayer meets the conditions of their agreement with the IRS. Offers in Compromise are difficult to achieve, but offer a substantial benefit to struggling taxpayers if they qualify.

If your wages have been garnished to satisfy outstanding back taxes owed to the federal or state governments and it has caused you financial hardship, Rockwater Associates can step in to help with the release process and halt continuing garnishments.

Tax liens can be very pesky – if you owe taxes to the IRS or State governments, you probably already know this.  At Rockwater Associates, our experienced staff can help navigate the process to have your tax liens withdrawn.

A bank levy allows the IRS to levy – or withdraw – money from your bank account after attempting to contact you to obtain funds and sending first and final notices of intent to levy.   Rockwater can immediately engage with you and quickly work to release the bank levy against your account.

When working with the IRS, it is almost certain that there will be disputes or discrepancies between them and taxpayers. In order to obtain a non-biased determination of a situation or decision made by the IRS, Rockwater Associates can assist you in exercising your appeals rights.

​We can engage with The Office of Appeals, an independent organization of the IRS, that acts as a third party to help the IRS and us resolve disputes through an informal, administrative process.

If you are currently going through or about to be going through the 4180 Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (TFRP) interview, Rockwater Associates can step in and represent during all phases of the 4180 interview including prep, actual representation at the interview, and problem solving solutions after the interview.

CNC Status is a temporary protection against any and all enforcement action from the taxing authorities. To qualify for CNC Status, also referred to as hardship status or Status 53, a taxpayer must provide documentation showing the taxpayer cannot meet their basic obligations and cannot pay their taxes without seriously harming their standard of living. 

Under CNC Status, the liability owed is removed from active collections and the IRS will wait for the taxpayer’s financial condition to improve. CNC Status is not a full resolution option – it is temporary.

Taxpayers often find themselves in trouble with serious IRS or state tax problems because of the actions of their current or former spouse. The IRS realizes that these situations do in fact occur and therefore offer Innocent Spouse Relief.