IRS warns of “mills” taking advantage of taxpayers with Offer in Compromise program

The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to beware of promoters claiming their services are necessary to resolve unpaid taxes owed to the IRS while charging excessive fees, often with no results. These unscrupulous “mills” use aggressive marketing to make false claims of guaranteed settlements for “pennies-on-the-dollar,” or will say there’s a limited window of time to resolve tax debts through the IRS Offer in Compromise (OIC) program. “Taxpayers should be cautious of aggressive marketing that can mislead them,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “Many OIC mills charge steep fees, give false assurances and can take advantage of taxpayers with empty promises that their tax debt will disappear. The result is often good money paid for bad results.”