IRS REPRESENTATION

IRS Representation in Cary, NC

If the IRS has contacted you, you don’t have to handle it alone or figure out what the notice means on your own. As an Enrolled Agent, I’m federally authorized to represent taxpayers before the IRS and can deal with them directly on your behalf. Whether it’s a single notice or a larger tax resolution case, you’ll work directly with me from start to finish.

$100 notice consultation, credited toward representation if you go ahead · Have a deadline? Mention it when you book.

HOW SOON SHOULD YOU CALL?

Wage garnishment or bank levy

Payroll tax problem

Notice with a response date

CP2000 underreporting notice

Audit document request

Unfiled returns

Doing nothing makes almost every tax problem worse. The earlier you respond, the more options remain.

Which situation are you in?

Pick the closest one. The first step is the same: show me the notice.

A notice or letter

A letter from the IRS or NCDOR, a CP2000, or an audit request.

A balance you can't pay

You owe, and paying it all at once isn’t possible.

Enforcement or unfiled years

A levy, lien, garnishment, payroll taxes, or years not filed.

HOW PRICING WORKS

$100 to start, credited if you go ahead.

The notice consultation is $100 and is credited toward the representation fee. After it, you get a clear scope and fee before any work begins. No large upfront retainers for work that hasn’t been done.

What IRS representation means

Representation means someone is authorized to act for you in dealings with the IRS. With a signed Form 2848, Power of Attorney, I can contact the IRS on your behalf, obtain your account records, respond to notices, and communicate with examiners and collection staff directly.

Deadlines don't get missed

Practically, that changes two things. The correspondence comes to me as well as you, so deadlines don’t get missed while you’re deciding what to do. And you aren’t on the phone trying to explain your situation to someone whose vocabulary assumes you already know how the process works.

A federal credential

Only three types of professional hold unlimited representation rights before the IRS: Enrolled Agents, CPAs, and attorneys. Enrolled Agent is the federal credential, licensed by the Treasury Department specifically for tax matters, and it carries representation rights in all fifty states.

Usually less serious than it feels

One thing worth saying plainly: most IRS contact is far less serious than it feels when the envelope arrives. A large share of notices are automated, generated by a computer matching your return against forms filed by employers and financial institutions. Many are resolved with a single well-documented response. The ones that need more work are still workable, and they get better with attention rather than time.

What I can help with

Twelve kinds of IRS and state matters, from a single letter to a collection case.

Notices and correspondence

Identifying what the notice actually says, whether the IRS is correct, and preparing a documented response within the deadline. Many notices are resolved at this stage.

Underreporting notices (CP2000 and similar)

These arrive when third-party forms don’t match your return. Sometimes the IRS is right and the tax is owed. Sometimes the form was wrong, or the income was reported in a place the matching program didn’t recognize, and the proposed assessment is overstated. Either way it needs a response, because ignoring it turns a proposal into an assessment.

Examinations and audits

Responding to document requests, organizing substantiation, and communicating with the examiner. Most examinations are correspondence audits focused on specific items rather than a full review of your return.

Unfiled returns

Reconstructing and filing missing years. This has to happen before most other resolution options become available, so it’s usually the first step.

Payment arrangements

Installment agreements let you pay a balance over time. The type available depends on how much is owed and your circumstances, and some can be arranged more simply than others.

Currently not collectible status

Where paying anything would leave you unable to meet basic living expenses, collection can sometimes be suspended. It doesn’t erase the debt, and interest continues, but it stops enforcement while circumstances are difficult.

Offers in compromise

In some cases the IRS will accept less than the full balance. Eligibility is narrow and based on a formula reflecting your income, expenses, and assets. Most people who inquire do not qualify. I’ll tell you honestly whether your situation is close before you spend money on an application.

Penalty abatement

Penalties can sometimes be removed, either through first-time abatement for taxpayers with a clean compliance history, or for reasonable cause where circumstances genuinely prevented compliance. Interest is treated differently and is rarely abated.

Liens and levies

Responding to enforcement action, and where appropriate requesting release or withdrawal.

Payroll tax matters

Unpaid employment taxes carry personal liability for responsible persons through the trust fund recovery penalty. These cases are more urgent than income tax debt and shouldn’t be left to sit.

Innocent spouse relief

Where a joint return created a liability arising from your spouse’s or former spouse’s actions, relief may be available under specific conditions.

North Carolina Department of Revenue matters

State notices and collection, which follow their own procedures and timelines.

What's included

UNDERSTAND IT

RESOLVE IT

STAY ON TOP OF IT

Is this for you?

If any of these sound like you, a confidential consultation is the right next step.

Anyone who has received a notice from the IRS or the North Carolina Department of Revenue and isn't sure what it means or how to respond
People with unfiled returns, whether one year or several
Taxpayers who owe a balance they can't pay in full
Anyone whose return has been selected for examination
People facing collection activity: liens, levies, or wage garnishment
Business owners with payroll tax problems, which the IRS treats more seriously than income tax debt
Spouses or former spouses seeking relief from a joint liability they didn't cause
Anyone who has been contacted and doesn't want to speak to the IRS directly

Sound familiar?

Seven situations people bring me most, and how we handle them.

I got a CP2000 saying I owe $8,000 and I don’t understand why.

These come from automated matching. Frequently the income is real but was already reported elsewhere on your return, or the cost basis on an investment sale was missing so the entire proceeds were treated as gain. The proposed amount is often reduced substantially once the actual facts are documented. It does need a timely response.

I haven’t filed in four years and I’m afraid to start.

This is more common than you’d guess, and the fear is usually worse than the reality. We pull your IRS transcripts to see what the IRS already has, reconstruct the missing years, and file them. Filing voluntarily puts you in a considerably better position than waiting, and it’s a prerequisite for almost every payment option.

I owe $30,000 and can’t pay it.

Owing more than you can pay is a solvable problem. Depending on the amount and your circumstances, options may include an installment agreement, currently not collectible status, or in narrower cases an offer in compromise. Which fits depends on your finances, and we work that out from your actual numbers.

The IRS is garnishing my paycheck.

Levies are usually the end of a sequence of notices, which means earlier letters went unanswered or unreceived. There are avenues for getting a levy released, particularly where it causes hardship or where a payment arrangement can be established. This one is genuinely time-sensitive.

My return is being audited and they want documentation for my business expenses.

Most audits are narrow. We work out exactly what’s being questioned, gather substantiation, and present it in an organized form. Where documentation is incomplete, there are often alternative ways to support a deduction, and where an adjustment is warranted, the goal shifts to limiting its scope.

I owe payroll taxes for my business.

This needs attention sooner than other tax debt. Unpaid employment taxes include money withheld from employees, and the IRS can assess personal liability against owners and others deemed responsible. The situation is manageable but doesn’t improve by waiting.

My ex-spouse didn’t report income and now the IRS is coming after me.

Joint returns generally create joint liability, but relief exists in defined circumstances. Whether it applies depends on what you knew, what you benefited from, and the timing of your request.

Got a letter? Don't wait on it.

Response windows are often 30 days, and rights can expire. Levies and payroll taxes are more workable when addressed immediately.

How it works

From the first conversation to a resolved matter, in seven steps.

Confidential consultation

You tell me what happened and show me the notice. I explain what it means and what your options realistically are. No pressure, and no quotes of amounts I can’t know yet.

Authorization

You sign Form 2848 so I can contact the IRS for you. From that point, you don’t have to speak with them directly unless you want to.

Transcript review

I pull your IRS account records to see exactly what’s been filed, assessed, and paid, and what the IRS believes about your account. This step often reveals that the picture differs from what the notice suggested.

Compliance first

If returns are unfiled, we prepare and file them. Most resolution options require being current.

Strategy

Based on the facts and your finances, I lay out the realistic paths and what each involves, including cost and likely timeline.

Execution

I file the responses, applications, or requests, and handle the communication with the IRS.

Resolution and follow-through

Once resolved, we discuss what keeps it from recurring, which usually means adjusting withholding or setting up estimated payments.

What you should know before hiring anyone

This corner of the industry has a reputation problem, and it’s earned. A few things worth knowing:

No settlement figure on the first call

Nobody can tell you what your case will settle for before reviewing your transcripts and your finances. Any firm quoting a settlement figure in the first phone call is guessing.

Offers in compromise are rarely granted

Offers in compromise are heavily advertised and rarely granted. The formula is based on your ability to pay, and most people who qualify have genuinely limited assets and income. Being told you’re “likely to qualify” before anyone has looked at your numbers is a sales pitch.

The IRS doesn't call demanding payment

The IRS does not initiate contact by phone demanding immediate payment, and does not threaten arrest over the phone. That’s a scam, and it’s a common one.

Doing nothing makes it worse

Doing nothing makes almost every tax problem worse. Penalties and interest accumulate, deadlines to contest an assessment expire, and collection escalates. The earlier you respond, the more options remain.

Some notices don't need representation

I’ll tell you if your matter is straightforward enough to handle yourself. Some notices need a letter and a document, not representation.

Getting started is easy

Bring the notice, or just describe what’s happened. That’s all it takes.

The notice or letter

Every page, and the envelope if you still have it.

Your last filed return

Or tell me which years haven’t been filed.

Any other IRS or NC letters

Earlier notices often explain where things stand.

A rough picture of your finances

Income and expenses, if you owe and can’t pay in full.

DEADLINE COMING UP?

Book now.

If there’s a deadline on your notice, mention it when you book so we can prioritize accordingly. Or just describe what’s happened.

WHY AN ENROLLED AGENT

Tax is the whole of what the credential covers.

Which is why representation is a natural part of the practice rather than an occasional add-on.

A federal credential

Enrolled Agent is a federal credential issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. It requires passing a comprehensive examination on tax law and procedure, an IRS background check, and ongoing continuing education. It’s one of only three designations with unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS, and it applies in all fifty states.

You deal with me directly

Beyond that: I’m based in Cary and work with people across Wake County and the Triangle. You deal with me directly. I serve clients in English, Hindi, and Nepali.

Straightforward about what's achievable

I’ll be straightforward about what I think is achievable, including when the answer is that you owe the tax and the realistic goal is a manageable way to pay it.

What I can't do

What I can’t do: promise a specific outcome. Results depend on facts, finances, and IRS determinations, and no representative controls those. What I can do is make sure your position is presented accurately, your deadlines are met, and your available options are genuinely explored.

IRS representation questions

I got an IRS letter. Is it serious?

Most notices are routine and many are automated. What matters more than severity is the deadline, since response windows are often 30 days and rights can expire. Bring it in and we’ll work out which kind it is. The notice consultation is $100, and it’s credited toward the representation fee if you go ahead.

Can you stop a wage garnishment or bank levy?

Sometimes, particularly where the levy causes financial hardship or where a payment arrangement can be established. Outcomes depend on your circumstances and IRS determinations, so I won’t promise a result. What I can say is that levies are more workable when addressed immediately.

How much do you charge for representation?

It depends on what the matter involves. Responding to a straightforward notice is a much smaller engagement than an examination or a multi-year collection case. I give you a clear scope and fee after the consultation, before any work begins, and I don’t charge large upfront retainers for work that hasn’t been done.

Do I qualify for an offer in compromise?

Possibly, but most people don’t. Eligibility comes from a formula based on your income, necessary living expenses, and asset equity. I can run a preliminary assessment during the consultation and tell you honestly whether it’s worth pursuing. If it isn’t, there are usually other routes.

What if I can't pay what I owe?

That’s a common starting point and it has answers. Installment agreements let you pay over time. Currently not collectible status can pause collection during genuine hardship. Penalty abatement may reduce the balance. Which applies depends on your numbers, and we go through them together.

Will I have to talk to the IRS myself?

Generally no. Once Form 2848 is filed, I handle the communication. In rare situations, such as certain in-person examinations, your participation may be requested, and I’d be there with you.

How long does resolution take?

It varies widely. A notice response might resolve in weeks. An examination can run several months. Collection matters and offers can take considerably longer, particularly given IRS processing times. I’ll give you a realistic estimate for your situation rather than an optimistic one.

I haven't filed in years. Will I go to jail?

Criminal prosecution for failing to file is rare and generally reserved for cases involving deliberate evasion, not for people who fell behind and are now trying to fix it. Coming forward voluntarily is viewed quite differently than being caught. The far more common outcome is tax, penalties, and interest, which is a financial problem with financial solutions.

Does this apply to state tax problems too?

Yes. I can also assist with North Carolina Department of Revenue notices and collection matters, which follow their own procedures.

Works even better with

Individual Tax Preparation

Catch up on unfiled years, then stay current.

Learn more →

Tax Planning

Estimated payments set so April never surprises you again.

Learn more →

Payroll Services

Payroll taxes filed and paid on time, every quarter.

Learn more →

Ready to get started?

Schedule a confidential consultation. Bring the notice, or just describe what’s happened. I’ll explain what it means and what your realistic options are, before you commit to anything.

If there’s a deadline on your notice, mention it when you book so we can prioritize accordingly.