Former IRS Revenue Officer

Former IRS Revenue Officer

Michael Raanan, EA

Santa Ana, CA

Male, 35

My tenure with the largest and most powerful collection agency in the world, the IRS, began fresh out of college and with much surprise. Following an extensive interview process and a cross-country flight to the West Coast, I found myself in Los Angeles with the unenviable task of getting delinquent taxpayers back into tax compliance. After approximately 8 years of service, I left, and now find myself (very literally) on the other side of the table helping taxpayers resolve their IRS disputes.

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Last Answer on May 16, 2017

Best Rated

Re my previous question I read your response that the service center usually doesn't handle cases over 250k. But there is no reference to if there is a MINIMUM for the revenue officer to take a case

Asked by Davew over 10 years ago

Hi Dave, 

There is no minimum dollar amount for an IRS Revenue Officer. Feel free to contact me for assistance at michael@landmarktaxgroup.com. Consultations are always Free, as are reviews of IRS notices and letters. Tel: 714-382-6780

 

A lot of accountants and lawyers advertise the fact that they used to work for the IRS. Just how much of an edge does that give? Is it just better knowledge of how the process works, or can "knowing the right guy" at the IRS actually come into play?

Asked by Olaf about 10 years ago

Having worked inside the IRS certainly does provide a tax professional with a better understanding of the agency's policies and procedures. It should be noted, however, that the most important element in choosing a tax practitioner is how well that person's professional experience matches up with the specific tax service that is needed. For example, a taxpayer with back taxes owed to the IRS would likely be in better hands with a tax professional (ex-IRS or not) that specializes in handling tax relief work - as opposed to a tax preparer or attorney. Similar to the legal field, the tax and accounting field is broken down into many specializations and niches. Taxpayers should place skills and experience at the top of their priority list.

I entered into an installment agreement in October of 2013. Completed the 433, and have never missed a payment. The IRS is cancelling it due to 2010 not being included. It WAS included and another IRS workers is saying they are wrong. What can I do?

Asked by js almost 11 years ago

In general, if an installment ageement defaults due to an IRS administrative error (i.e. not including all periods in the payment plan) then the agreement can often be reinstated without delay. The speed at which this occurs depends on a few factors including which IRS office set up the initial installment agreement - Service Center vs. Local IRS Office. 

For further assistance with your specific tax matter, you are welcome to contact me anytime. 
T. 1 (714) 382-6780
E. michael (at) landmarktaxgroup.com

I was fired out of retaliation for calling osha, I was in a rural area and no other work available. My RVlotspace parart of my employment at no charge. I had OSHA as my mediator and a settlement of $1200.00 and now I get a 1099 to pay taxes

Asked by Gail Wallace almost 11 years ago

Should you have a specific question about the 1099, you are welcome to post it here or contact me directly. 

Related: Taxable vs. Non-Taxable Income: http://bit.ly/1hthb7Q

What is the % of medical that can be deducted.

Asked by Dixie over 10 years ago

In general, the tax code allows us to deduct medical and dental expenses that are more than 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income. As with all things taxes, there are many nuances and exceptions to this rule, so it is always best to have a qualified tax professional review the specific facts of your tax situation. 

Related:
1) Publication 502 Medical and Dental Expenses
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf

2) Facts About Medical and Dental Expenses
http://www.landmarktaxgroup.com/7-important-tax-facts-about-medical-and-dental-expenses

Hi Micheal. My question is I owe quarterly from 2012 to 2014 my bookkeeper wasn't taking any payments for the quarterly automatically out the bank account. I'm working to resolve this but was told I will be assigned a revenue officer what am I to do?

Asked by anitra about 10 years ago

Businesses that fail to make Federal Tax Deposits (payroll taxes) have been and still are a priority for the IRS. This is because the employer is responsible for taking an employee's withholding and turning it over to the government during each payroll - the IRS calls this "trust fund" money.

If the IRS gets wind that a business-taxpayer is not making its required Federal Tax Deposits, they will usually assign the Collections case to a Revenue Officer at a local IRS office in an effort to get the taxpayer back on track and in compliance again. This often entails having the business catch up on all current payroll taxes and establishing a payment plan for the back taxes if it cannot full pay. The Revenue Officer may also need to file a lien to protect the government's interest.

Depending on the amount of unpaid "trust fund" taxes, the IRS may assess a civil penalty against the person(s) responsible for not paying the taxes. This means they will assess a liability against that person's social security number, at which time a business liability has also become (in part) a personal liability. This civil penalty is called a Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. In cases where outstanding trust fund taxes and a Revenue Officer are involved, it is highly advisable to consult with a qualified tax resolution professional. 

Related: 1) What to Know About Payroll (Trust Fund) Taxes http://bit.ly/19i2VKn 2) 10 Facts About the IRS Collection Process http://bit.ly/1q96URn

Is there a minimum threshold to be assigned a revenue officer ? My accountant being told by an agent that the debt to IRS must be 250,000 or greater

Asked by Dave W over 10 years ago

A Revenue Officer is the last line of collection for the IRS when it comes to back taxes. A collection case is generally assigned to a RO at the IRS office closest to where the taxpayer lives. Although the IRS Service Center generally does not work collection cases over $250K, a RO has no such limits. A RO is generally assigned a collection case based on his/her Grade level. As such, ROs work collection cases from a few thousand dollars in back taxes to multi-million dollar cases. If favorable, taxpayers can request their IRS tax case to be transferred from the Service Center to a local RO. This decision should be made with a qualified tax representative and should always be based on the facts and circumstances of the case. 

Related: 
1) 11 Tips for Taxpayers Who Owe Money to the IRS 
http://bit.ly/18hk5ce