If you are considering filing for bankruptcy, you may be wondering if your tax debts can be discharged in bankruptcy court. Although the automatic stay will delay the IRS from contacting you about your debts, there are some taxes that cannot be eliminated in bankruptcy court. Here are three basic rules that will tell you if your tax debts are eligible for discharge.
- The Three Year Rule. Your tax debts must be three years old from the date they were due, not from the date that you filed. Tax returns are due on April 15th each year. This means that your 2010 taxes are not eligible for discharge until April 15th of 2014. This is because your 2010 taxes were technically due in April 2011. Calculate three years from the time the taxes were due.
- Your Tax Returns Must Have Been Filed for Two Years Before Bankruptcy. Taxes must be filed for two years prior to the bankruptcy filing to prevent delinquent taxpayers from filing late returns one day and bankruptcy the next.
- The Taxes Must Have Been Assessed More Than 240 Days Ago. The IRS must formally determine that you owe the taxes you are trying to eliminate in bankruptcy more than 240 days before you file the paperwork with the court. Note that an offer in compromise will delay the 240-day rule while it is pending plus an additional 30 days.
If you are in financial crisis and considering filing for bankruptcy, contact an experienced Miami bankruptcy attorney who can advise you of all your options. As an experienced CPA as well as a proven bankruptcy lawyer, Timothy Kingcade knows how to help clients take full advantage of the bankruptcy laws to protect their assets and get successful results. Since 1996 Kingcade & Garcia, P.A. has been helping people from all walks of life build a better tomorrow. Our attorneys’ help thousands of people every year take advantage of their rights under bankruptcy protection to restart, rebuild and recover. The day you hire our firm, we will contact your creditors to stop the harassment. You can also find useful consumer information on the Kingcade & Garcia website at www.miamibankruptcy.com.
Related Resources:
http://www.natlbankruptcy.com/bankruptcy-and-tax-debt-what-happens-to-tax-debt-in-bankruptcy/
http://www.thebankruptcysite.org/resources/bankruptcy/stop-irs-collecting-tax-debts.htm#
