The PEOPLE FIRST INITIATIVE from the IRS

In conjunction with the CARES Act and other directives from the President, the IRS has begun a new initiative called the People First Initiative.  The highlights are as follows:

1. If you are in an existing Installment Agreement, payments due between April 1 and July 15, 2020 are suspended, but this is voluntary. Interest will continue to accrue but no penalties will be assessed and the Installment Agreement will not default.
2. Pending Offers in Compromise (OIC): (a) Taxpayers may have until July 15 to provide any documents that have been requested and the IRS will not close any pending OICs until July 15. (b) taxpayers may suspend any payments on accepted OICs until July 15. (c) An OIC will not be defaulted even though the 2018 return has not been filed so long as it and the 2019 return are filed by July 15.
3. Liens and levies (including seizures) initiated by field revenue officers are suspended until July 15.
4. Automated Collection Service (ACS) liens and levies are suspended until July 15.
5. IRS requests to the State Department to suspend passports for “seriously delinquent” taxpayers are suspended until July 15.
6. New delinquent accounts will not be sent to private debt collectors before July 15.
7. During this period the IRS will not start any field, correspondence or office audits.
8. The Appeals division will still continue to work appeals.

There are other provisions which are too numerous to list here.  If you have a particular problem or concern we will be happy to discuss it with you.