Escape IRS Debt Caused by Your Spouse
If your spouse’s tax mistakes left you with IRS debt, you don’t have to carry the burden alone. Innocent Spouse Relief may give you a fresh start.
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Our 4-step
Tax Relief Process
No more calls, no more letters — you’re breaking up with the IRS.
Once you’re our client, we take over all communication.
Tell us about your IRS letters, tax debt, or unfiled returns. We’ll listen, review your situation, and explain your options.
We pull your IRS transcripts to see what the IRS sees — penalties, interest, and any missing returns — then get you filed and eligible for relief.
We design a customized strategy that fits your numbers — an Offer in Compromise, Installment Agreement, Penalty Abatement, or another relief program.
We negotiate directly with the IRS on your behalf, keep you updated every step of the way, and help you finally get back on track.
What is Innocent Spouse Relief?
Innocent Spouse Relief is an IRS program that can free you from paying additional taxes, interest, and penalties on a joint tax return if those extra charges are the result of mistakes or omissions made by your spouse—and you didn’t know about them when you signed the return.
In plain terms: if your spouse underreported income, claimed false deductions, or made errors that created tax bills or penalties, you may not have to pay for their actions.
This program exists to protect people who were unaware of the errors or couldn’t stop them. It can mean freedom from debt that was never truly yours.
Eligibility Rules
You may be eligible if:
You filed a joint return with your spouse.
Your spouse made errors that understated the tax (such as unreported income or incorrect deductions).
You were unaware of those errors when you signed.
Holding you responsible would be unfair under the circumstances.
You signed an offer in compromise or a similar agreement with the IRS, capping liability.
You were aware (or a reasonable person in your situation would have been aware) of the errors.
You and your spouse transferred property between each other as part of a fraudulent scheme.
Special Consideration: Domestic Abuse
If you knew about the errors but only stayed silent because of domestic abuse, you may still qualify for relief. The IRS recognizes this as a valid exception.
If you don’t qualify for Innocent Spouse Relief, there are other programs (like installment agreements or penalty abatement) that may still bring relief.
How We Help You Through the Process
We start with a free consultation to review your situation and explain whether Innocent Spouse Relief (or another program) is the right solution for you.
We prepare the forms, financial analysis, and documentation the IRS requires to improve your chances of approval.
We stand between you and the IRS, taking over all communication and negotiation while fighting for the best outcome on your behalf.
Why Choose Us?
Jason Smith, EA, CTRS was honored by the American Society of Tax Problem Solvers for expertise and dedication in tax resolution.
Proven expertise in solving IRS problems.
Licensed to represent you directly before the IRS.
No call centers, just real experts who know your case.
No hidden fees, no surprises.
We’ve helped clients just like you get on the right track with the IRS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Innocent Spouse Relief – You're cleared of liability if you didn’t know about the errors.
Separation of Liability Relief – If you’re divorced, separated, or living apart, you may only be held responsible for your share of the tax.
Equitable Relief – If the first two don’t apply, you may still qualify if it's unfair to hold you liable, based on all circumstances.
You generally have two years from the date the IRS first tries to collect the tax from you to file IRS Form 8857, Request for Innocent Spouse Relief.
In some cases, such as requests for equitable relief, the deadline can be longer, up to the time the tax is still collectible.
Once you submit Form 8857, the IRS reviews your request. By law, the IRS must notify your spouse or ex-spouse that you applied, and they can take part in the process.
If you are in a domestic abuse situation, the IRS will not share your new address or contact information with them.
The review can take six months or longer, and while you wait, you should continue to file and pay any other taxes due.
When the review is complete, the IRS sends you a determination letter. If you disagree, you can appeal, and after a final determination you can take the case to the US Tax Court. The deadlines for both are short and strict, so act on the letter right away.
They fix different problems. Innocent Spouse Relief removes your responsibility for an existing tax debt that came from your spouse's errors on a joint return.
Injured Spouse Relief applies when your share of a current refund was taken to pay your spouse's separate debt, like their back taxes, child support, or student loans, and it claims your share of that refund back.
If you're not sure which one fits your situation, that's one of the first things we sort out in the free consultation.
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