If you have received a notice and demand for payment from the Internal Revenue Service, you need to act now. A tax levy can cost you your wages, your bank account, and your property. Call Sheppard Law Offices today for a free consultation with a Columbus tax levy attorney.
A tax levy is the legal seizure of property to satisfy a tax debt owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Unlike a tax lien, which is a legal claim against property to secure payment, a levy allows the IRS to actually take your property and apply its value toward what you owe.
A tax levy can reach bank accounts, wages, real estate, retirement accounts, and a wide range of other assets — each addressed in more detail in the section below.
Tax levies are not empty threats. The IRS uses them regularly and aggressively, and once a levy is in place, removing it without paying the full debt is far more difficult than preventing it in the first place.
The IRS does not use a one-size-fits-all approach to levies. The type of levy imposed depends on the circumstances of each taxpayer's case, though the IRS generally targets assets that can be converted to cash most quickly and with the least administrative effort.
Common types of IRS tax levies include:
Certain categories of property are exempt from levy under federal law. A qualified tax attorney can help you identify what protections may apply in your specific situation.
Stopping a levy requires prompt, strategic action. At Sheppard Law Offices, our priority upon being retained is to get between you and the IRS as quickly as possible. Here is how the process typically works:
"When a client comes to us facing an active tax levy, the first thing we do is make sure the IRS knows they have qualified legal representation. That changes the dynamic immediately." — Kenneth L. Sheppard, Jr., Esq.
Not every tax attorney has graduate-level training in taxation. Kenneth L. Sheppard, Jr., Esq. holds an advanced degree in taxation, which means that when your case requires deep technical knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code, our firm is prepared to deliver it. This level of training is particularly valuable in complex levy cases involving business assets, retirement accounts, or disputed tax liabilities.
"Tax law is one of the most technical areas of the law. Having an advanced degree in taxation means I can engage the IRS at the highest level of detail, which directly benefits our clients when the stakes are highest." — Kenneth L. Sheppard, Jr., Esq.
At Sheppard Law Offices, we have developed a clear, structured process for moving levy clients from crisis to resolution:
We believe that cost transparency is part of treating clients with respect. At Sheppard Law Offices, we offer both flat-fee and hourly pricing depending on the nature and complexity of your case. Payment plans are available for eligible clients because we understand that financial hardship is often what brought you to us in the first place.
Several factors affect the overall cost of legal representation in a tax levy case:
We provide a clear fee structure upfront so there are no surprises along the way.
A tax lien is a legal claim the IRS files against your property to secure its interest as one of your creditors when taxes go unpaid. A tax levy goes further. It is the actual seizure of property to collect the debt. Under federal law, a lien must generally exist before a levy can occur, but they are separate tools with different consequences. If you have received notice of either, speaking with an experienced attorney in Columbus is the right first step.
The IRS is required by law to send a Final Notice of Intent to Levy at least 30 days before collection efforts begin. That first notice is your most critical opportunity to act. If a tax lawyer is involved early, there is often time to request a hearing, negotiate a resolution, or pursue IRS tax relief before a levy is ever imposed.
The first step is to speak with a qualified tax lawyer as soon as possible. Do not ignore the notice or assume it will resolve itself. The IRS is committed to collecting what it is owed, and the longer you wait, the fewer options remain available. A Columbus tax attorney can review the notice, assess your tax problems, and advise you on the best path forward before collection efforts escalate.
Yes. There are several circumstances under which the IRS will release a levy without full payment of back taxes. These include financial hardship, an approved installment agreement, a pending offer in compromise, or the expiration of the IRS collection period. In some cases, it may also be possible to eliminate or reduce penalties that have significantly inflated the original debt. An experienced attorney can help you decide which option best fits your situation.
Wage garnishment is one of the most disruptive IRS collection tools. The IRS contacts your employer directly and requires a portion of each paycheck to be withheld until the debt is resolved. Ohio residents are subject to federal levy rules, which allow the IRS to collect a substantial share of take-home pay. A Columbus tax levy attorney can assist in documenting financial hardship to reduce or eliminate the garnishment while a longer-term resolution is pursued.
Contact a tax lawyer immediately. There is a brief window after a bank levy is imposed during which the IRS has not yet collected the funds. If an experienced attorney can assist quickly, an emergency release request supported by hardship documentation may allow you to recover some or all of what was seized. This is not a situation where it is safe to wait and decide later — acting fast is essential.
The Fresh Start Program was designed to make IRS tax relief more accessible to individuals and small businesses dealing with tax problems. It expands eligibility for installment agreements and offers in compromise, both of which can stop or prevent levies once approved. For Ohio taxpayers managing back taxes, this program is often the first avenue a qualified attorney will explore. A Columbus tax lawyer can help you schedule an evaluation and determine whether you qualify.
Filing for bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay that temporarily halts most IRS collection efforts, including levies. However, not all tax debt can be discharged in bankruptcy, and the interaction between tax law and bankruptcy law is complex. The decision to file should never be made without first consulting an experienced attorney who has an in-depth understanding of both areas. A tax lawyer can help you decide whether bankruptcy is the right path or whether other IRS tax relief strategies are more appropriate for your situation.
Unfiled tax returns, unpaid payroll taxes, and ignored IRS notices are the most common triggers for escalating collection efforts. Each year that taxes go unfiled, penalties and interest accumulate, making the total debt harder to resolve. Ohio taxpayers who have not filed returns in multiple years often find that getting current on filing obligations is the first step the IRS requires before any resolution can be reached. A Columbus tax attorney can assist with unfiled returns and help you re-establish compliance quickly.
This is one of the most important decisions you will make when dealing with IRS tax problems. Tax relief companies vary widely in quality, and some have faced significant scrutiny from the Better Business Bureau and state regulators for misleading claims and poor client outcomes. A licensed tax lawyer, such as Kenneth Sheppard Jr. at Sheppard Law Offices, is bound by professional and ethical obligations that tax relief companies are not. When your finances, your wages, and your property are at stake, hiring an experienced attorney in Columbus who is committed to your best interests and who operates under the rules of professional responsibility is almost always the better choice.
Enrolled agents and other tax professionals are qualified to handle many IRS matters and can assist in straightforward resolution cases. However, when a levy involves disputed tax liability, tax disputes before the IRS Appeals division, or potential Tax Court litigation, the situation requires someone with an in-depth understanding of both tax law and the legal system. Only a licensed tax lawyer has the full legal authority to represent you in court and to assert attorney-client privilege in all communications related to your case.
The cost of legal representation in a levy case depends on several factors, including the complexity of your tax liability, whether returns need to be filed before resolution can begin, and the type of services being performed. At Sheppard Law Offices, we offer both flat-fee and hourly services depending on the nature of your case, and payment plans are available. We are committed to providing clear, upfront fee information so you can decide on representation without uncertainty about cost.
The first step is to speak with a qualified Columbus tax levy attorney as soon as possible. During a free consultation, we will review your IRS notices, assess the full scope of your tax problems, and outline your available options. From there, we can schedule the next steps, file the necessary authorization documents with the IRS, and begin working on your behalf immediately. The sooner you act, the more tools we have available to resolve your situation.
When you hire Sheppard Law Offices, we file a Power of Attorney with the IRS immediately, which means the IRS must deal with us directly rather than contacting you. We serve as a buffer between you and IRS collection efforts, and we are committed to pursuing every available legal remedy to resolve your tax problems in your best interests. Whether that means negotiating a levy release, pursuing IRS tax relief, contesting the underlying tax liability, or addressing related tax disputes, we assist clients through every stage of the process in Columbus and throughout Ohio.
Avoiding a levy requires swift action, and hence you are strongly encouraged to speak with a qualified tax attorney about your situation to determine the ideal course of action. Our tax attorney at Sheppard Law Offices is committed to negotiating arrangements that are best for you and not the Ohio taxation authorities. Our tax lawyers have successfully stopped numerous people and families from facing IRS levies. We are experienced and skilled in tax law and have a thorough awareness of the various resolution alternatives available to clients who must deal with aggressive collection tactics.
The first notice you receive is the ideal opportunity to reach out to our legal team. We can try to stop a levy if we get involved early. If these actions are already underway, it may still be possible to reach a satisfactory conclusion. We are adept at stopping levies and negotiating different repayment arrangements with the IRS. Know that you have a lot of options for dealing with IRS levies. To find out what is tax levy in Columbus OH and what are your legal alternatives, contact our law office in Ohio.
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