7 ways to potentially get a Wage Garnishment Release

1. Assume the position.

Before you get the IRS to play nice, you have to comply with their rules. That means you have to file taxes for every year.

2. Pay them off.

Obviously, if you pay all your debts, the IRS will call their dogs off you. Borrow the money or sell an asset. Do whatever you have to do (legally) to get these guys off your back as soon as possible. You’ll live a lot longer because of the stress release.

3. Make them an offer (in compromise) they can’t refuse.

This isn’t easy to get, but it’s worth a try. Basically, this is a situation where you get the IRS to accept less than what you owe. Before going down this road, you would be smart to hire a good tax attorney who has a lot of experience dealing with similar problems.

4. Make payments.

Often you can get the IRS to agree to an installment agreement. This will give you three years to pay off your IRS debt. Even if you don’t have a great credit score, as long as you haven’t flaked on previous debts, the folks at the IRS will probably let you go this route.

5. Plead poverty.

If you can convince the IRS that the wage garnishment causes financial hardship, they might let up — at least until your financial situation improves. If you can’t pay for basic living expenses as a result of the wage garnishment, you’ll probably get them to agree to wait. This is another case where a tax professional might be helpful. They usually know the exact formulas the IRS uses to determine if you face hardships that meet their definition or not.

6. Take the job and shove it.

Understand that the IRS wage garnishment is specific to an employer. If you change employers, the IRS has to get a new garnishment, and that will take them several months. This can also work if you simply quit your job temporarily. If your employer informs the IRS that you don’t work there, the garnishment won’t be valid. Then if they rehire you, the IRS will have to go back to get another garnishment. Too bad for them. Whaaaaa.

Another tactic is to work part-time. This might reduce your income to the level the IRS thinks is basic living.

7. The nuclear option- Bankruptcy

If you file for bankruptcy it will stop the IRS wage garnishment. Of course if you go this route, it will have a major impact on your financial life. Of course, you won’t get out of IRS tax debt, but it will stop the wage garnishment for awhile.