None Law Definition

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

Like correcting a bank deposit slip after noticing a missing number, an amended return is a revised tax return filed to fix a return that was already sent in. For federal taxes...

DEFINITION 2026-04-02

bank levy

Picture waking up, checking your account, and finding the money frozen or gone before rent, groceries, or payroll clears. That is basically what a bank levy is: a legal seizure...

DEFINITION 2026-04-03

correspondence audit vs field audit

What's the difference, and which one is more likely to wreck your week? A correspondence audit is the lighter version: the IRS reviews your return by mail, asking for proof of...

DEFINITION 2026-03-30

currently not collectible status

A temporary IRS designation that pauses active tax collection because a taxpayer cannot presently afford to pay. "Temporary" is the part people miss. This is not forgiveness,...

DEFINITION 2026-03-25

estimated tax penalty

A missed or too-small tax payment can quietly add cost to an already tight situation, especially when income is irregular because of contract work, a settlement, or time away...

DEFINITION 2026-03-28

federal tax lien

Think of it like a heavy lock placed on everything you own after an unpaid bill has sat too long. A federal tax lien is the government's legal claim against a taxpayer's...

DEFINITION 2026-03-26

foreclosure process

Like a vehicle being repossessed after missed payments, the foreclosure process is the legal path a lender uses to take and sell real property when the borrower defaults on the...

DEFINITION 2026-04-03

innocent spouse relief

This can save you from paying a tax bill that should not be yours. When a married couple files a joint federal return, both spouses are usually fully responsible for the tax,...

DEFINITION 2026-03-26

installment agreement

Like paying off a large emergency bill in smaller chunks instead of all at once, an installment agreement lets a person or business repay a tax debt over time rather than in...

DEFINITION 2026-04-03

IRS appeals process

A formal way to challenge an IRS decision without going straight to court, usually by asking the IRS Independent Office of Appeals to review a proposed tax assessment, penalty,...

DEFINITION 2026-03-25

IRS audit notice

Usually shows up as a letter from the Internal Revenue Service saying your tax return has been selected for review, asking for records, explanations, or a response by a...

DEFINITION 2026-03-31

IRS levy

A legal seizure of property to collect unpaid federal taxes. "Legal" means the Internal Revenue Service has statutory authority, mainly under Internal Revenue Code section...

DEFINITION 2026-03-25

offer in compromise

When insurers or defense lawyers know someone is under financial pressure, they may delay, underpay, or push a fast settlement because they assume the person cannot wait. That...

DEFINITION 2026-03-23

penalty abatement

A reduction or removal of a tax penalty, usually granted when a taxpayer shows a valid reason for noncompliance or qualifies for an IRS administrative waiver. Penalty abatement...

DEFINITION 2026-03-25

quiet title action

Insurance companies, lenders, or defense lawyers may throw around this phrase to make a property dispute sound bigger, slower, or more expensive than it is. Sometimes they use...

DEFINITION 2026-04-03

reasonable cause defense

A reasonable cause defense is a legal argument that asks the IRS or a court to remove a tax penalty because the taxpayer exercised ordinary business care and prudence but still...

DEFINITION 2026-04-02

statute of limitations on tax collections

Like a timer on an unpaid bill, this rule sets how long the government has to keep trying to collect a tax debt. In federal tax cases, it usually means the IRS has 10 years to...

DEFINITION 2026-04-02

Tax Court petition

People often confuse a Tax Court petition with an IRS appeal. An IRS appeal is an administrative challenge handled within the Internal Revenue Service, usually through the IRS...

DEFINITION 2026-03-28

trust fund recovery penalty

Picture a foreman handed money to buy feed for the herd, then using it to cover some other bill instead. The money was never really his to spend. In tax law, a trust fund...

DEFINITION 2026-03-28

wage garnishment for taxes

A legal process that takes part of a paycheck to pay overdue taxes. "Wage" means money earned from work. "Garnishment" means a required deduction sent to a creditor before the...

DEFINITION 2026-03-30