Tax Relief Blog
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Kwong v. United States: The Bigger Picture — ERC, Collections, and What Comes Next
Video Breakdown Series — Part 4 of 5 Parts 1 through 3 of our Kwong series covered the basics: what the ruling says, who qualifies, and how to file a…
Kwong v. United States: How to File a Protective Refund Claim Before the Deadline
Video Breakdown Series — Part 3 of 5 In Parts 1 and 2 of our Kwong series, we explained what the ruling means and who is most likely to benefit. Now w…
Kwong v. United States: Who Qualifies for a COVID-Era Tax Refund?
Video Breakdown Series — Part 2 of 5 In Part 1 of our Kwong series, we explained the basics of the case: a federal court ruled in November 2025 that C…
Filing for CNC: Required Documentation
Kwong v. United States: The COVID Tax Ruling That Could Put Money Back in Your Pocket
Video Breakdown Series — Part 1 of 5 If you paid IRS penalties or interest on taxes related to the years 2020 through 2023, there is a federal court r…
Innocent Spouse, Fresh Start: A Real Story of Escaping a Spouse’s Tax Debt
Names and identifying details have been changed to protect client privacy. The facts of the case are real. When Sandra came to Brightside Tax Relief,…
From Levy Notice to Relief: How One Client Stopped an IRS Bank Levy in Time
Names and identifying details have been changed to protect client privacy. The facts of the case are real. There’s a particular kind of dread that com…
IRS Collection Statute Expiration Dates Explained
IRS Notices by the Numbers: What CP501, CP503, CP504 Each Mean
If you’ve ever received a notice from the IRS, you’ve probably noticed a code printed near the top — something like CP501, CP503, CP2000, or Letter 10…
Year-Round Tax Planning Tips That Prevent Debt Before It Starts
Most people think about taxes once a year — in the weeks before April 15, usually in a mild panic. They gather documents, hand everything to a prepare…
How to Get a Copy of a Prior Year Tax Return From the IRS
There are more reasons than you might think to need a copy of a tax return you filed years ago. A mortgage application. A FAFSA form for your child’s…
Steps to Take After Receiving a Notice of Levy
What to Do If You Owe State AND Federal Taxes at the Same Time
Discovering you owe the IRS is stressful enough. Discovering you owe both the IRS and your state tax agency at the same time — often on the same day,…
Estimated Tax Deadlines: A Full-Year Calendar for Business Owners
If you own a business, work as an independent contractor, or earn any income that isn’t subject to automatic withholding, there’s a rhythm to your tax…
Real Estate Transactions: Avoiding FIRPTA Delays
How to Use the IRS Where’s My Refund Tool Correctly
Every year, tens of millions of Americans file their tax returns and then do the same thing: obsessively check on their refund. The good news is that…
What the IRS Fresh Start Program Means for You in 2026
If you’ve been dealing with IRS debt for a while, you’ve probably come across the phrase “Fresh Start Program” — in ads, in conversations with tax rel…
Tax Prep Checklist for Self-Employed and Freelance Workers
Filing taxes as a self-employed person is a fundamentally different experience from filing as a W-2 employee. There’s no employer handing you a single…
Payroll Tax Tips for Seasonal Employers
How the IRS Decides Who Gets Audited — The Real Criteria
The word “audit” triggers immediate anxiety in most people. But here’s a fact that might surprise you: the IRS audits less than 1% of all individual t…
What Is the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service and When Should You Use It?
Most people think of the IRS as a single monolithic agency — one massive institution with one unified agenda: collect taxes. But inside the IRS, there…
How Partial Payment Agreements Affect Your Finances
Self-Employment Taxes Explained: What Freelancers and Gig Workers Need to Know
There’s a moment that catches almost every new freelancer, independent contractor, or gig worker off guard. It usually happens the first time they fil…
What Is Tax Preparer Fraud and How Does It Hurt Taxpayers?
Most people who hire a tax preparer do so in good faith. They hand over their W-2s, answer a few questions, sign where they’re told to sign, and trust…
How the IRS Calculates “Reasonable Collection Potential” for Offers
If you’ve ever looked into an Offer in Compromise — the IRS program that allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount owed — you’v…
What Is a Substitute for Return — and Why It’s Bad News
If you haven’t filed a tax return in one or more years, you might assume the IRS is simply waiting for you to catch up. And in some cases, that’s true…
Tax Levy Release for Bank Accounts
The IRS Automated Collection System (ACS): How It Works
If you’ve ever called the IRS about a balance you owe and found yourself talking to someone who seemed to be reading from a script, asking rapid-fire…
What Is an IRS CP2000 Notice and How Should You Respond?
You open your mailbox one day and find a letter from the IRS. The heading reads “CP2000 — Notice of Underreported Income.” Your stomach drops. Does th…