WASHINGTON (AP) - As tax day approaches, the Internal Revenue Service is giving agents more flexibility to work with taxpayers who have seen their incomes drop during the recession.
IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman announced Tuesday that the agency is loosening its rules for negotiating tax settlements for less than the amount owed. The agency also plans to open about 1,000 offices on various Saturdays, beginning March 27, to give taxpayers more opportunities to work with IRS employees to resolve their tax debts.
The IRS expects to process 138 million inidual tax returns this year. Most will qualify for refunds, but with the economy shedding more than 8 million jobs since the start of the recession, many taxpayers will be unable to make timely payments.
Under an IRS initiative started a year ago, agents can negotiate new payment plans and postpone asset seizures for delinquent taxpayers who are financially strapped but make a good-faith effort to settle their tax debts.
The new rules will provide even more relief to people who have been laid off or have had their incomes cut.
Shulman cautioned that those seeking help will have to demonstrate their inability to pay. Those who fail to file tax …
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