Tax Resolution: A Complete Guide for 2026
What working with a resolution firm should look like, from transcripts to Form 2848 to closing the case.
Tax resolution is representation in IRS collection and, often, in exam. It is not a debt-settlement company, and it is not TurboTax. If the engagement letter does not mention Form 2848, power of attorney, and a defined scope, you are buying a call center.
A competent engagement
- Intake without a scare script. “The IRS will seize your house tomorrow” is almost never true on day one. Liens and levies follow notices and statutes.
- Transcripts. We pull account and wage transcripts so the balance, CSED, and unfiled years are facts.
- Power of attorney. Form 2848 for the years and tax types in play. CAF unit delays are normal; follow up.
- Compliance. File the missing 1040s and 941s. Resolution on an incomplete filing history is theater.
- Financials. Form 433-A/F when needed. Allowed expenses follow IRS standards, not your budget app.
- The ask. IA, CNC, OIC, penalty abatement, or a combination — in writing.
- Monitor. Direct-debit IAs still break. Levy releases need confirmation. CNC gets surveyed.
Fees in this industry
Large retainers before transcripts are a red flag. So are monthly ACH drafts that continue after the IRS has already accepted a streamlined IA you could have filed yourself. Pay for analysis and representation, not for access to a “program.”
Who should sign the Form 2848
Enrolled agents, CPAs, and attorneys. Unenrolled preparers have limited representation rights. If your “tax relief specialist” cannot appear in the CAF directory, they cannot finish the case when ACS wants a callback.
General information for tax year 2026, not legal or tax advice. IRS programs depend on your filing history, assets, and collection statute. Talk with a representative before you send the IRS money or financials.