Learn before you call
Tax Guides
Straight answers on IRS and state tax problems: what a notice means, what the IRS can and cannot do next, and which lawful options may fit. Written for people researching before they pick up the phone.
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Wage Garnishments & Bank Levies
IRS Letter 1058 and LT11: Your Final Notice Before a Levy and Your Right to a Hearing
Letter 1058 and LT11 are the IRS final notices before a levy. Requesting a Collection Due Process hearing on Form 12153 within 30 days of the notice date generally pauses levy and keeps your right to Tax Court review.
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IRS Tax Debt & Back Taxes
IRS Notice CP14: What It Means and What to Do
A CP14 is the first IRS bill for unpaid tax. This guide explains the due date, the CP501, CP503, and CP504 notices that follow, how penalties and interest grow, and the options for paying, disputing, or reducing the balance.
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Wage Garnishments & Bank Levies
IRS Notice CP504: Can the IRS Take Your Money Now?
A CP504 lets the IRS levy your state tax refund after 30 days, but a wage or bank levy generally needs a final notice with hearing rights first. This guide explains the difference and your options to pay, set up a plan, or dispute.
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Wage Garnishments & Bank Levies
The FTB Froze My Bank Account: How Long Until the Money Is Gone?
A bank must hold funds for at least 10 business days after an FTB Order to Withhold before sending them, and this guide covers what to do in that window, from payment in full to hardship and payment plan requests.
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Tax Liens & Enforcement Actions
Tax Liens and Levies in California: IRS and FTB Rules Compared
How IRS and Franchise Tax Board liens and levies work in California, from bank holds and wage garnishments to appeal deadlines and the ways a lien can be released, withdrawn, or discharged.
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IRS Tax Debt & Back Taxes
Tax Debt 2025: What to Do If You Owe the IRS on Your 2025 Return
What an unpaid 2025 federal tax balance costs in penalties and interest, the notices the IRS sends next, and the payment plan, Offer in Compromise, and hardship options that may fit, with a California note.