Hello, I am Melissa Harrison with US Tax Help Association. So you've received a notice for Intent to Levy.

Well what that means is if you don't take the steps necessary to protect yourself, after that time period has run on the notice, you could wake up one day to see your bank accounts empty or your paychecks garnished. So you definitely want to take the necessary steps to protect yourself. If you are still within the time period that's in the letter, typically 30 days, you can file an appeal. It's called a Due Process Appeal and you can download that form off the IRS website, Form 12153, www.IRS.gov. If you fill out the form and you follow it according to the forms instructions you will be given an appeal and during that appeal process you will be given alternatives to collection in lieu of the levy or garnishment. Now some people might be uncomfortable doing that on their own and if you are you definitely want to seek the assistance of an attorney if your financial situation justifies taking that step.

Another thing you could consider if you qualify is whether or not you should file for bankruptcy protection. If you file for bankruptcy protection any levies or garnishments are immediately stopped by the automatic stay of the bankruptcy. Definitely consider speaking with a bankruptcy attorney who is knowledgeable in this area if you think you qualify. Finally, if you've tried everything else and you haven't been able to get the assistance that you need, there's something that a lot of taxpayers don't know and that is the Taxpayer Advocate. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is here to help you. They are a third party agency who reports directly to Congress. They are not a part of the IRS but they do work with the IRS to help resolve issues with taxpayers in certain situations. It's not going to be the same as hiring an attorney but definitely it's a buffer between you and the IRS. If you're in a situation that you think you could be levied or garnished wrongfully definitely consider taking that step. You can reach the Taxpayer Advocate Service by filing a Form 911 (ironically) and you can download that at www.IRS.gov and you have instructions for the Form 911 there. As always, if you need any more information please search our site and we'll give you all the information we can to help you or you might want to consider checking out our member section where we have attorneys who are in your area, who are knowledgeable and have been vetted by our team and want to help you.