Understanding IRS Levies
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) possesses the authority to seize assets, including wages, bank accounts, vehicles, real estate, and other personal property, to satisfy unpaid tax debts. This action, known as a levy, allows the IRS to legally take possession of your assets to recover the owed taxes.
IRS Levies vs. Credit Card Debt
While the IRS has broad authority to seize assets, it generally does not have the power to directly garnish your credit card accounts. Credit card debt is considered a type of unsecured debt, meaning it is not backed by collateral such as a house or car. As a result, the IRS cannot seize your credit card directly.
Exceptions to the Rule
There are a few exceptions to the general rule that the IRS cannot garnish your credit card. These exceptions include:
-
Bank Levy: If the IRS levies your bank account, any funds in the account, including funds from your credit card, can be seized.
-
Wage Levy: If the IRS levies your wages, a portion of your paycheck can be withheld and sent to the IRS. This can indirectly affect your ability to make credit card payments.
Protecting Your Assets
If you are facing an IRS levy, there are steps you can take to protect your assets, including:
-
Negotiate with the IRS: You may be able to negotiate a payment plan or other arrangement with the IRS to avoid a levy.
-
File for Bankruptcy: Bankruptcy can stop IRS collection actions, including levies. However, it is important to note that bankruptcy has its own set of consequences and should be considered carefully.
While the IRS generally cannot garnish your credit card directly, it can indirectly affect your ability to make credit card payments through bank levies or wage levies. If you are facing an IRS levy, it is crucial to seek professional guidance from a tax attorney to explore your options for resolving the tax debt and protecting your assets.
Can you pay your taxes with a credit card?
FAQ
Does the IRS get involved with credit card debt?
Can my tax refund be garnished for credit card debt?
Can the IRS take money out of your bank account without your permission?
Does the IRS take credit cards?
Can a tax refund be garnished if you owe a credit card?
Only the federal government can offset a tax refund, and it will only do so if you owe a state or federal government agency money. Private creditors, like credit card issuers or a bank that gave you a personal loan, can’t garnish a tax refund. Note that you won’t have your tax refund seized for delinquent private student loans, either.
Can the IRS garnish my tax refund?
Before any other federal or state agency can garnish your tax refund, you need to be current on your federal income tax payments. This is because the outstanding taxes you owe to the IRS always need to be paid first from available tax refunds.
Can government agencies garnish tax refunds?
It allows federal and state government agencies to collect outstanding debts owed to them by garnishing, or offsetting, your debt with your tax refund. Government agencies frequently garnish federal income tax refunds since they are the most common federal payments.
What is tax refund garnishment?
Tax refund garnishment is a method that the United States government uses to collect money from citizens on their back taxes. There are many ways that the government can recoup the money that you owe, including wage garnishment, property liens, and more, but tax refund garnishment is one of the most common.