I had a few interesting calls in the last couple of weeks with business owners who owed a substantial amount to the IRS (between $100,000 to $200,000 each) in back taxes.
What was interesting was the way these calls ended.
The business owners told me in great detail how their problem with the IRS was affecting their business, finances, and personal relationships. They told me just how determined they were to resolve their IRS problems, once and for all.
At the end of the call, I presented to them what needed to be done to resolve the issue, and the costs involved.
Their response at the end? A complete 180!
“Hmm, that’s more expensive than I thought it would be…I need to see if I have a budget for that”
“Why don’t you send over the paperwork, and I’ll think about it”.
“Why don’t you call me back in a couple weeks, I need to see if I can put together the money”.
This is a dangerous line of thinking I hear from time to time by those with back IRS problems:
A thinking governed by complacency…that things are bad now, but hey, it could be worse, so it’s not really a big deal if I just ignore the problem a bit longer…until I have a bit more money, a bit more time, a bit more whatever.
What these business owners don’t realize is that the reason they don’t have the money for our service, or the time, or the “budget”, is because they are allowing their complacency to keep them from implementing CHANGE and taking the ACTION that will actually allow them to better their situation, fix their business, and get back on track.
Because the IRS doesn’t care about that is convenient for you. All they care about is getting paid.
I have many clients who spoke to me…then wanted to “think about it” and did not move forward…then called me up 10 months later because their bank account had just been drained $20,000, or an IRS Revenue Officer just knocked at their door.
So if you are struggling with a back IRS problem, please remember that fixing the problem by definition is going to be a struggle. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to take a lot of work, and frankly it’s going to be expensive.
But those who succeed beyond their wildest dreams, and who ultimately go on to lead a better life free of dealing with the IRS, are the ones who are willing to confront difficulty…not those who run from it.
If this is something you would like help on, I encourage you to apply for a Tax Strategy Session with me by clicking on the link in the comments!