The Internal Revenue Service has a host of collection tools that it may employ when an individual has unpaid tax debts. One of those tools, called a levy, allows the IRS to take a debtor’s property in satisfaction of the money they owe. Levies are a legal mechanism that the government can take against San Antonio residents who have fallen behind on their tax obligations.

However, as anyone who has ever owed money to another party will know, the failure to pay a debt is often not rooted in a desire to be difficult, but in the inability of the debtor to be able to pay. Many people who do not pay their IRS debts do not avoid their obligations out of desire, but rather because they are incapable of coming up with the money to do so. For some, paying a debt to the IRS may mean not paying a necessary cost for survival, such as for rent, food, or utilities.

When a debtor finds themselves in a situation where the enforcement of an IRS levy against them may impose a hardship upon them, they may have options for stopping the levy from being imposed. This is known as a levy release, and it does not mean that the levy has been fully eliminated. A person may have to pay off their debt later, once they are no longer subject to the hardship that prevents their current ability to repay.

Securing a levy release on an IRS debt may require an individual to present financial evidence of their situation to justify their need for hardship considerations. An attorney who supports IRS and collection defense clients can assist individuals who wish to present their hardships in an effort to protect their financial needs. This post does not offer any legal advice and readers should know that requests for hardship considerations do not guarantee positive legal outcomes.