Do you wonder if you can get those nasty IRS penalties waived?

The answer, if you haven’t had any run ins with the IRS recently is, yes! The IRS offers an administrative waiver for certain penalties called the First Time Abatement. The basic idea behind the waiver is that if taxpayers haven’t had any issues recently, there isn’t a need to make them pay penalties. They made a small error but otherwise act in good faith.

What can the First Time Abatement do for me?

Even better, despite the name, you can use this waiver more than once! The IRS assesses qualifying penalties for paying or filing late. The IRS’s technical names for these penalties include the “Failure-to-File,” “FTF Penalty,” “Failure-to-Pay FTF Penalty,” the “Failure-to-Deposit,” or “FTD Penalty.” The IRS will likely approve your request, if you filed and paid on time for the last three years.

Potential Issues Qualifying

Unfortunately, even though underpaying estimated taxes or being assessed non-substantial penalties isn’t supposed to disqualify you. You guessed it, sometimes they do. These kind of errors are often due to poor training on the part of the IRS agent or faulty software. To make things worse, it isn’t just a matter of my professional opinion.

It’s actually the US Government’s position. After completing a comprehensive study, the taxpayer advocate, the government-funded IRS watchdog, stated that the software used to screen First Time Abatement candidates was consistently wrong. What should be a simple process is often much harder.

How to DIY a First Time Abatement

While we advise engaging a professional for a variety of reasons, there is nothing wrong with trying to apply yourself. After all, you can always have a professional appeal the decision for you. It’s one of the easier things you can attempt on your own.

Call 1-800-829-1040. Don’t forget to have your tax return handy when you call. The agent asks for a bunch of information to verify your identity.

Have Us Do it for You

If you get denied, can’t get through, or just don’t have the time to wait on the phone, we can help. We offer a contingency-based penalty abatement service. If we can’t get the penalty abated, you won’t pay a dime for our services.

Given our track record, we feel confident offering this risk-free engagement to clients. Many clients expressed how much stress it took out of the process. Knowing they had nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain made the decision to engage us easy.

Related Services

We also offer a contingency-based penalty review for prior years. Using our specialized software and years of experience, we comb through your IRS transcripts. We look for ways to put more money back in your pocket. If we can’t find anything, you don’t pay a dime. On the other hand, you might end up with a hefty refund.

Serving Central & Northern Maine

If you struggle with an unfair penalty at the Internal Revenue Service and you live in central or northern Maine, call us for a zero-risk initial consultation. Located in Bangor. We work with clients from southern Maine, through Augusta, all the way up to Fort Kent. If you are outside of our home state and want a second opinion, consider giving us a call. Regularly, we work with out-of-state referrals.

We Work Locally & Nationally!

We are admitted to practice before all levels of the Internal Revenue Service. Furthermore, by virtue of that admittance, we can practice before all levels of the Maine Revenue Service, the Maine Board of Tax Appeals, and 48 other state taxing authorities.

Do You Qualify for a First Time Abatement?