The mere mention of the IRS strikes fear into the hearts of many Americans. People have nightmares that the IRS will throw them in jail for not filing or paying your taxes, or come to their home and seize their belongings. Of all debt collectors, IRS agents have a reputation of being especially nasty in their attempts to collect a tax debt.

While this reputation is not entirely unfounded, the fact of the matter is that the IRS will work with people to assist them. After all, their goal is the same as the taxpayer’s in many cases- to get things caught up and resolved.

In many instances, getting resolution can be as simple as going on the IRS website and setting up a payment plan. Many taxpayers are unaware that if they have all returns filed and owe less than $25,000, the IRS will automatically grant a 5-year payment plan, provided that the taxpayer files and pays on time going forward.

If you’re unable to make payments, or if your tax bill is over $25,000, things may get a bit more complicated, and the IRS is likely to want to collect much more personal information from you. It is usually in your best interest NOT to answer any of the IRS’s questions before consulting a professional. Some clients have given their personal info to the IRS thinking they were trying to be helpful, only to have it used against them in a collection attempt.

You can certainly attempt to deal with the IRS on your own, but most people find that a tax professional is much more likely to obtain a favorable result due to experience. If you do choose to try to work with them on your own, you should be armed with detailed information on your income, assets and expenditures, as well as a good deal of patience.