Are you looking for a tax lawyer in New Britain, CT?
We offer trusted tax debt resolution counsel for individuals and business owners throughout New Britain, CT.
If you owe back taxes in New Britain and can’t resolve it on your own, a tax attorney can change the direction of your case. The IRS and Connecticut DRS won’t wait for you. Penalties stack. Interest compounds. And at a certain point, they stop sending letters and start taking money through liens, levies, and garnishment.
The Law Offices of Neil Crane has been representing Connecticut taxpayers in tax disputes for more than 43 years. We provide free consultations and work toward a resolution that fits your financial reality. Schedule a free consultation with our New Britain, CT tax lawyer.
Tax Lawyer New Britain, CT
A tax lawyer steps in when you’re dealing with the IRS or the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services over an unpaid balance, unfiled returns, or active enforcement. If a notice of levy, a federal tax lien, or a demand letter has shown up, you’re past the point where phone calls and payment promises are going to fix anything.
What a New Britain tax attorney brings is direct negotiation with the taxing authority, a clear read on which programs you qualify for, and a plan built around what you actually earn and owe. If the tax issue connects to something bigger like a foreclosure or a bankruptcy, we handle the full picture rather than just one piece.
Types of Tax Cases We Handle in New Britain
No two tax cases start the same way. One client missed a filing and let it spiral. Another owes more in penalties than the original tax. Here are the tax matters we handle for New Britain residents and businesses.
- IRS Back Taxes. The tax itself is only the starting point. Penalties and interest compound on top, and over time the total can dwarf what you originally owed. We negotiate with the IRS to cut the balance down or build a repayment plan around what you can manage.
- Connecticut State Tax Debt. The DRS doesn’t wait around either. It collects through liens, bank levies, and intercepted refunds. Our attorneys handle state tax disputes at both the administrative and legal levels.
- Offer in Compromise. Not everyone qualifies, but for those who do, an offer in compromise can settle your tax debt for significantly less than the full balance. The IRS looks at your income, your assets, and what it realistically expects to collect before making a decision. We prepare and file these for clients in New Britain, CT.
- Installment Agreements. Sometimes a settlement isn’t on the table. In those cases, a structured monthly payment plan through the IRS or DRS can stop enforcement and give you a clear path to paying the debt down over time.
- Tax Liens and Levies. A lien attaches to everything you own and shows up on your credit report. A levy actually seizes assets, wages, or bank funds. We challenge improper levies and negotiate lien releases, including in cases involving foreclosure for unpaid taxes.
- IRS Wage Garnishment. No court order required. The IRS can take your wages directly, and if your paycheck is already being cut, we work to stop or reduce the garnishment while pursuing a resolution of the underlying debt.
- Payroll Tax Debt. Business owners who miss payroll deposits face personal liability through trust fund recovery penalties. These cases get aggressive fast. We represent New Britain small business owners who are in the middle of this kind of enforcement.
- Tax Debt in Bankruptcy. Certain tax obligations can be wiped out through Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, depending on the age and type of debt. We assess whether you can eliminate certain tax debts through the bankruptcy process and coordinate both sides when that makes sense.
Why Choose The Law Offices of Neil Crane as My Tax Lawyer in New Britain, CT?
A Connecticut Tax Practice Built on Decades of Results
Neil R. Crane has earned the Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished rating across multiple consecutive years and the 2020 Client Champion Award. He founded the firm in 1983. Since then, he has handled more than 15,000 cases spanning tax debt, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and debt relief.
His work has been covered by the New York Times, and he’s been interviewed by the BBC and Swiss television on consumer debt and the mortgage crisis. Neil has gone to Congress multiple times to advocate for consumer rights. He holds a J.D. from UConn School of Law and a B.A. from Emory University, with bar admissions in Connecticut, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, and both the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He belongs to NACBA and the American Bankruptcy Institute.
We provide free consultations for all tax matters. Our client results reflect 43 years of focused practice, and a New Britain, CT tax matter brought to our firm draws on that record across IRS negotiations, state collections, and bankruptcy tax protection.
Understanding Tax Cases
IRS Resolution Programs and Eligibility
The IRS has formal programs for people who owe more than they can pay. Which one applies to you depends on your income, your assets, and the nature of the debt.
- Offer in Compromise (OIC): This settles your full liability for less than what you owe. The IRS approves an OIC only when it concludes the offered amount is the most it can realistically collect. OIC payment terms include both lump-sum and periodic structures.
- Currently Not Collectible (CNC) Status: If paying anything would cause genuine hardship, the IRS can designate your account as CNC. Enforcement stops, though penalties and interest keep running.
- Penalty Abatement: Penalties for late filing or payment can be removed if you show reasonable cause, like a documented illness or a natural disaster.
- Installment Agreement: This breaks your balance into monthly payments stretched over several years. The IRS approves it when your proposed payments would satisfy the debt within the collection window.
- Innocent Spouse Relief: If your spouse or former spouse made errors or left things off a joint return, this program can protect you from the resulting liability.
A tax lawyer in New Britain figures out which path fits and handles the paperwork and negotiation.
What Are Important Aspects of a Tax Case?
A handful of factors tend to drive the direction of every tax case.
The type of tax matters. Federal income tax, state tax, and payroll tax each follow their own rules. Some debts may qualify for discharge in bankruptcy after enough time. Others never will, regardless of how old they get.
How long the debt has existed also plays a role. The IRS generally has ten years from the date of assessment to collect. But that clock can be paused. Bankruptcy, for instance, triggers an automatic stay that halts enforcement and can extend the statute of limitations.
Then there’s your financial picture. That’s what the IRS weighs most. Income, assets, monthly expenses. All of it factors into whether the agency agrees to a reduction. If you’ve got unfiled returns, those come first. No program moves forward without them.
What Is the Tax Case Timeline?
Tax cases don’t run on a fixed schedule, but here’s a rough outline after you retain a New Britain, CT tax attorney.
- Initial review (1–4 weeks): We pull IRS transcripts, review your account, and take care of any unfiled returns.
- Application prep (2–6 weeks): We put together your financial records and submit the right request to the IRS or DRS.
- Agency review (3–12 months): The IRS evaluates your application. OIC submissions can take six months to a year. Installment agreement requests usually move quicker.
- Negotiation: If the IRS pushes back or asks for more documentation, we handle it. Simple cases wrap up in a few months. Complicated ones can stretch.
- Compliance period: Once it’s resolved, you need to stay current on future filings and payments for a set period. Falling behind can void the agreement.
What Should You Bring to Your Tax Consultation?
Walking in with the right documents lets us evaluate your case and start building a plan right away.
- IRS or DRS notices, letters, or enforcement correspondence
- Tax returns from the past three to five years, or a list of unfiled years
- W-2s, 1099s, and other income records
- A breakdown of monthly expenses and outstanding debts
We’ll review your tax history, walk you through the available options, and map out the next steps. The consultation is free.
What Are Important Connecticut Legal Resources for Tax Cases?
If you’re dealing with tax debt in Connecticut, these government resources can help you understand the programs and protections available to you.
- The IRS Offer in Compromise page details eligibility and the application process for settling federal tax debt below the full amount.
- The IRS installment agreement page explains monthly payment plan options for taxpayers who can’t pay in full.
- The IRS Taxpayer Advocate is an independent office that helps when tax issues aren’t getting resolved through regular IRS channels.
- The Connecticut DRS handles state tax obligations, including filing requirements, refund status, and payment options.
- The U.S. Tax Court provides resources for taxpayers who want to challenge an IRS determination before an independent federal court.
Reach Out to The Law Offices of Neil Crane to Schedule a Consultation
If you owe the IRS or the State of Connecticut and need a clear path forward, our firm can help. We provide free consultations for all tax matters and respond to inquiries promptly. Contact us to speak with a New Britain tax attorney about your case.
