AboutHelen P. O`Planick, EA Expertise I am a tax professional, with experience in individual taxation. I would prefer not to answer questions about non-resident aliens or corporate taxation. Please do not ask me state related questions, unless the state is Pennsylvania. There are 42 taxing states and 42 TOTALLY different sets of state tax law.
Experience I have been preparing tax returns almost all my life. I have been in professional practice for 25 years and I am enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service.
Organizations National Association of Enrolled Agents
Publications I am a prior Money Magazine Tax Test taker and have been quoted extensively in all media including monthly periodicals and books by tax authorities.
Question I owe Pennsylvania back income taxes.
Due to a OIC with the IRS I have been unable to pay Pennsylvania back taxes and did not even file since I moved to PA in 2003.
I recieved a letter from PA about this and they only identified year 2005.I actually owe for 06,07,& 08.
They said that they have some sort of imformation sharing with the IRS on state residents.
I have only two more payments to the IRS and will be paid off with the OIC.
I planned to communicate and file my required tax forms with PA when the IRS OIC was settled.
I want to write them and explain my situation, but I have a good idea they already know since the communication with Federal IRS.
I am making a larger income than I was when I filed my OIC. Filed OIC in 2006 and was making under $21,000 then. Now I made $45,000 in 2008. Should make $40,000 this year.
By the way I used J.K. Harris Business Services in South Carolina and they saved me over $150,000. I will have paid the IRS $24,000 thanks to their help with the OIC.
I found out that they really do do what they say.
But...........what about individual States.
I would like to get the same kind of thing with PA.
Where do I go?
FYI. When I was first contacted by the IRS in 2006, I consulted a Tax Attorney and they said they could not help until I filed all my back tax forms. GREAT HELP :( ha!. Needless to say I did not use them.
I feel the same today.
JK Harris worked and got my garnishment stopped.
It took around 18 months to come to a final solution and settlement plan.
Three weeks ago I contacted JK Harris about PA, talked to a rep. and was told I would hear from them about PA soon, but no reply to date. Not happy.
To date I have not communicated with PA income tax dept at all since I cannot pay them anything until I finish my OIC with the IRS.
I believe they know this and were waiting until I paid the IRS up, I believe.
What would be your suggestions as to what I should do and where to go?
I cannot afford attorneys fees as I am working two part time jobs in order to live and pay bills.
I pay the IRS $1,030 a month and live on the rest.
I cannot pay more than that. I have my living expenses on a shoe string and am barely able to pay the bills. I do not have any car payments, no cable or internet service(my wife and I use the public library for internet),I have an old Chevy Blazer for the wife and a little Yamaha scooter for me, no land line phone as we are using my daughters cell phone, we rent and pay utilities, buy food, make a small payment monthly on the scooter, Pay the IRS on the OIC, and that is it.
I am 60 years old and my health is still good on purpose in order to pay the IRS without hickups.
Priority was paying them, now it will be PA.
I hope they can wait a few more months, and I am working to keep my health up in order to work and pay the bills.
Again, what would be your suggestions and where can I go for help cheaply?
Thanks a lot.
Ed in Pittsburgh.
Answer PA usually does not settle back taxes. And you have probably had your run of luck with JK Harris, you are the ONLY success story I have ever heard of in over 40 years.
There are many good tax folks in the 'burgh that should be able to at least talk to you face to face.
One such is Mark Thomas (mbt1040@aol.com) and you can tell him I said it was okay to contact him. Or you can find others by doing a search at www.naea.org
