The IRS Filed a Tax Return for You. Do You Really Owe That Much?
The IRS may prepare a tax return when you haven't filed one, but its calculation may not reflect your deductions, credits, or business expenses. Learn how Substitute for Return (SFR) assessments work, when they can be corrected, and what happens if the IRS has already started collecting.
The IRS Is Outgunned — Until It Isn’t
Why years of IRS silence can create a dangerous false sense of security. Former IRS Revenue Officer Brandon Lynch explains how experience loss, imminent collection deadlines, and summons authority can change a quiet tax case.
Do Professionally Prepared Tax Returns Have Lower IRS Audit and Adjustment Rates?
A close reading of IRS and National Taxpayer Advocate data on professional tax preparation, EITC audits, and adjustments—and what the evidence cannot prove.
IRS Form 4180 Interview: What Is the Revenue Officer Trying to Establish?
Asked to attend an IRS Form 4180 interview? Learn what a Revenue Officer is investigating, what signing the form means, which records matter, and what happens next.
Can You Appeal an IRS Collection Action? Understanding CDP, CAP, and Other Appeal Rights
Many IRS collection decisions can be appealed, but the procedure, deadline, collection protection, and court rights differ. Learn how CDP, CAP, and other appeals fit together.
IRS Notice CP523: What to Do Before Your Payment Plan Is Terminated
An IRS payment-plan default notice calls for a prompt response. Learn how to check the reason and deadline, correct the problem, request a workable change, or dispute the proposed termination.
What I Looked for as an IRS Revenue Officer — and What Changed When I Became a Supervisor
Brandon Lynch, EA, shares firsthand lessons from nearly 20 years with the IRS, including Revenue Officer and supervisory assignments, and explains what often mattered most in collection cases: credibility, compliance, case development, taxpayer behavior, and sustainable resolution.
The IRS Resumed Individual Nonfiler Notices. What Happens Next?
Individual nonfiler notices resumed in FY2024 and increased in FY2025. Learn what a missing-return notice means, how it differs from an IRS-prepared return, and what to establish before responding.
You’re Paying the IRS. So Why Is Your Tax Problem Getting Worse?
Paying the IRS can feel like progress. But for an operating business, the first step may be understanding why the balance exists, making sure it is correct, and stopping new tax debt from developing. A former IRS Revenue Officer explains why strategy should come before simply sending another payment.
When a Field Collection Case Needs a Reset
A difficult IRS collection history does not automatically make a case unworkable. Former IRS Supervisory Revenue Officer Brandon Lynch explains why current compliance, credible information, and organized representation can help reset a stalled field-collection case.