Did you know that even though the Exxon Valdez oil spill catastrophe was in 1989 that IRS levies (garnishments) relating back to the Exxon lawsuit are still valid? Most of these IRS levies were issued in the period dating from 1994 to 1996. Even though the collection statute of limitations (CSED) has long since expired, they attached to a fixed and determinable right to future payments, namely the Exxon Valdez lawsuit proceeds.

Many fishermen and others whose livelihoods depended upon a clean environment and clean seawater in the Prince William Sound area of Alaska have been waiting on the Exxon settlement for over a decade. Although the original trial court's verdict was a judgment in the amount of $5 billion, it has been appealed repeatedly over the past decade and a half. As late as December 2006, the judgment has been reduced to only $2.5 Billion but this decision remains on appeal as well.

Although it remains to be seen if the 32,000 hardworking members of the class who originally sued will ever get their money, the IRS maintains that levies issued in anticipation of the awards remain valid and enforceable. If you are a member of the class and need to deal with such a levy you can contact the Local Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) office in Alaska. You can reach TAS by calling the Anchorage TAS office locally at (907) 271-6877 or toll-free at 1-866-490-5449 or the TAS toll-free case intake line at 1-877-275-8271 or TTY/TDD 1-800-829-4059. If you happen to be looking for an Orlando Tax Attorney who can represent you in anywhere in the United States call tollfree (888) 438-6474.

IRS Levies dating back to the Exxon Valdez oil spill still valid? is a post from: IRS Tax Problem Solver Blog - IRS Help

Most people only think about the IRS in April. But if you have IRS Tax Problems, you likely think about the IRS a whole lot more. But there is a part of the IRS that really is there to help. It's called the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, an independent branch of the IRS that exists merely to assist taxpayers with hardships, including bureaucratic snafus.

The Taxpayer Advocate really is the best kept secret of the IRS. The Service is open to both individual and business taxpayers. The Taxpayer Advocate's representatives aren't intended to be the first point of contact but rather their job is to assist taxpayers when other avenues have failed. Unfortunately, this is quite common.

Typically the Taxpayer Advocate deals with taxpayers who are experiencing hardships or financial burdens stemming from an IRS Tax Problem. Sometimes it's best to use the Taxpayer Advocate if a taxpayer hasn't received a response from the IRS within a reasonable amount of time. This amount of time is usually 30 days.

One of the best features of using the Taxpayer Advocate is that the taxpayer has one person assigned to the case for the duration of their assistance. This is quite different than calling a 1-800 number and talking to whoever picks up the phone. It is quite frustrating to have to continually explain the circumstances of the particular case over and over again.

If you would like to contact the Taxpayer Advocate go to http://www.irs.gov and click on the Taxpayer Advocate link toward the bottom of the page. A word to the wise, the Taxpayer Advocate is not substitute for getting an IRS Problem Lawyer who is looking out for your best interests. An experienced IRS Tax Problem Attorney will often use the Taxpayer Advocate to help in a particular case because it is the most efficient way to get certain things done. IRS help is still best obtained from the services of a skilled Tax Problem lawyer so don't be tempted into taking the easy way out and use the Taxpayer Advocate for solving the whole IRS Tax Problem.

IRS Taxpayer Advocate can help with IRS Problems is a post from: IRS Tax Problem Solver Blog - IRS Help

Go to getIRSHelp for additional assistance and information or call us tollfree at (888) GETMISH (888) 438-6474.

Want Immediate IRS help? is a post from: IRS Tax Problem Solver Blog - IRS Help