INNOCENT SPOUSE RELIEF

At times, a taxpayer may be liable for a tax liability incurred by that taxpayer’s former spouse on a joint return. In spite of co-signing the return and being liable along with the former spouse, the taxpayer may seek relief from such liability by petitioning for innocent spouse relief.

To option innocent spouse relief, the petitioner must establish: (1) lack of awareness that the spouse owed tax debt; (2) that under the circumstances, the petitioner took researchable steps to insure that taxes were paid; and (3) that the petitioner’s income and assets would not permit the payment of the former spouse’s debt without imposing unreasonable hardship on the petitioner.

The IRS considers all of the Petitioner’s circumstances in an innocent spouse case. It is quite helpful to establish that the Petitioner has not had training in accounting or bookkeeping and does not have experience in running a business.

Petitioners seeking innocent spouse relief have an exponentially greater likelihood of success if they are represented by an experienced tax attorney. The Weinberg Law Firm has been successfully representing innocent spouse petitioners for over twenty years.