Tampa IRS guides

Tenancy by the Entireties and the Federal Tax Lien in Florida

For generations, Florida couples relied on tenancy by the entireties to keep one spouse’s debts away from jointly owned property. Against the IRS, that shield has a hole in it.

One Spouse Owes the IRS: Florida Entireties Bank Accounts and Levies

Florida law presumes a married couple’s joint bank account is entireties property, which keeps out most creditors of one spouse. The IRS has a different set of rules, and cash is where they bite first.

When a Spouse Dies: Entireties Property and the IRS Lien in Florida

Survivorship is the quiet feature of tenancy by the entireties. When one spouse owes the IRS, the order in which the spouses die can decide whether a federal tax lien vanishes or swallows the whole property.

Retitling Property to Your Spouse After an IRS Debt: Why It Backfires

It feels like common sense: put everything in the name of the spouse who does not owe the IRS. In Florida, after the debt exists, that move usually makes the problem bigger.

Can You Shelter Cash in a Florida Homestead From the IRS?

Florida’s homestead protection is famous for a reason: courts have protected homes even when debtors poured nonexempt cash into them. That reputation does not carry over to federal tax debt.

Hillsborough Homestead Exemption and IRS Debt

Your Tampa home has significant protection from IRS collection under Florida's unlimited homestead exemption.

Tampa Real Estate and IRS Liens

Tampa's real estate market is hot. If you're selling or refinancing with an IRS lien, plan 6-8 weeks ahead.

Can the IRS Seize Your Tampa Home? The Federal Court Approval Rule

Florida’s homestead law does not stop the IRS. A different rule does slow it down: before the IRS can seize the home you live in, a federal judge has to sign off.

IRS Foreclosure Lawsuits in Tampa Federal Court: IRC 7402 and 7403

Most IRS collection happens on paper and by levy. Sometimes the government files a lawsuit instead. For a Tampa homeowner, that suit lands in the Middle District of Florida, and Florida’s homestead law will not end it.

Offers in Compromise and Florida Homestead or Entireties Equity

An offer in compromise lives or dies on reasonable collection potential. For Tampa homeowners, the biggest number in that calculation is often the house, and Florida property law shapes how the IRS counts it.

Florida Land Trusts and the IRS: Privacy Is Not Protection

Florida land trusts are popular in Tampa real estate for privacy and convenience. Some people believe they also keep property away from the IRS. They do not.

IRS Housing and Utilities Standards for Hillsborough County

When you ask the IRS for a payment plan, an offer or hardship status, it caps what it will let you spend on housing. In Hillsborough County, that cap is often lower than what a Tampa family actually pays.

Hillsborough County Tax Lien Guide

A federal tax lien filed in Hillsborough County shows up in the public records and affects every property you own here.

Where the IRS Files a Federal Tax Lien in Florida, and Why It Matters

The federal tax lien exists the moment a tax is assessed and unpaid. Who can see it, and who it beats, depends on where the IRS files its notice. In Florida, a state statute answers that question.

How to Find an IRS Lien in the Hillsborough County Records

If the IRS has filed a lien against you in Tampa, it is a public record. You can find it yourself, read it, and figure out what it takes to clear it.

Hillsborough County Property Taxes vs. the IRS Lien: Who Gets Paid First

Owe the IRS and fall behind on your Hillsborough County property taxes, and two government liens sit on the same house. They do not share equally. Local property taxes go first.

Florida Condo and HOA Liens vs. the IRS: Who Has Priority?

Florida gives condominium and homeowners associations strong liens for unpaid assessments, sometimes dating back decades. When the IRS also has a lien on the unit, federal law decides who stands first.

Florida Construction Liens vs. the Federal Tax Lien

Tampa homeowners who owe the IRS still need roofs, and contractors who owe the IRS still need to get paid. When a Florida construction lien meets a federal tax lien, federal rules decide the order.

Hillsborough Retirement Accounts and IRS Debt

Florida gives your retirement accounts unlimited protection. Here is what that means when you owe the IRS.

Florida’s Head-of-Family Wage Exemption Does Not Stop the IRS

If you support a child or other dependent in Florida, state law can shield most or all of your paycheck from a judgment creditor. Many Tampa workers assume it shields them from the IRS too. It does not.

Florida’s Constitutional and Statutory Exemptions vs. IRS Levies

Florida’s Constitution and statutes protect a long list of property from creditors. The IRS follows a different, shorter list written by Congress. Knowing which list applies changes everything.

Life Insurance Cash Value and Annuities in Florida: What the IRS Can Reach

Florida protects the cash value of life insurance and the proceeds of annuities from creditors. Some Tampa business owners and retirees park money there for that reason. The IRS has a statute written for exactly that situation.

Florida Garnishment vs. IRS Levy: Why Tampa Taxpayers Get Blindsided

Most Floridians who have dealt with a debt collector know the process takes a lawsuit and a judge. Then the IRS freezes their bank account without either. The two systems run on completely different rules.

Florida LLC Charging Orders and the IRS: Does the Shield Hold?

Florida’s LLC statute tells a member’s personal creditors they can usually get only a charging order against the member’s interest. Many Tampa business owners assume that limit applies to the IRS. That assumption is risky.

IRS Revenue Officer in Tampa

The Tampa IRS office is home base for Revenue Officers covering Hillsborough County. When one shows up, you need a lawyer.

Brandon and Riverview IRS Help

East Hillsborough is booming. Brandon and Riverview residents deserve a local tax lawyer, not a national firm.

The IRS Office in Tampa: What It Does and How to Get Help There

People say they need to “go down to the IRS office in Tampa.” What they usually mean is the Taxpayer Assistance Center. It helps with some problems and cannot touch others.

Form 9297: The Revenue Officer’s Deadline List and What Happens If You Miss It

At the end of a first meeting, a Revenue Officer often hands you a form with a list of documents and a date. That form is Form 9297, and the date on it is not a suggestion.

How IRS Revenue Officers Find Assets in Hillsborough County

Some Tampa taxpayers leave assets off their IRS financial statements, hoping nobody will look. Revenue Officers look. Here is where.

Is That Really the IRS? Verifying Field Contacts in Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay has real IRS Revenue Officers and plenty of people pretending to be them. Knowing what the real ones do, and never do, is the fastest way to tell them apart.

Sunbiz Records, Nominee Liens and Alter Ego Liens: How the IRS Connects You to Your Florida Entities

Every Florida LLC and corporation leaves a public trail on Sunbiz. When an owner owes the IRS, Revenue Officers follow that trail, and sometimes treat the company’s property as the owner’s.

Tampa IRS Problems: The Complete Guide

Hillsborough County is the economic engine of the Tampa Bay area. That means more businesses, more income, and more IRS exposure than anywhere else on the Gulf Coast.

No State Income Tax: What It Changes About Your IRS Problem in Florida

People move to Tampa partly because Florida does not tax personal income. When they end up owing the IRS, that fact helps in some ways and changes nothing in others.

Owing Florida Sales Tax and the IRS at the Same Time

Tampa businesses in trouble rarely owe just one tax agency. When the Florida Department of Revenue and the IRS are both owed money, each has its own playbook, and both treat collected-but-unpaid taxes harshly.

Florida Reemployment Tax and Form 940: How Late State Payments Raise Your FUTA Bill

Florida’s reemployment tax and the federal unemployment tax on Form 940 are two halves of one system. Fall behind on the Florida half, and the federal half gets more expensive.

Federal Withholding, Lock-In Letters and Florida Paychecks

With no Florida income tax, the only withholding on a Tampa paycheck is federal. Get the Form W-4 wrong, and the result is a balance due every April, and sometimes a letter telling your employer how much to withhold.

When the IRS Changes a Florida Corporation’s Return: The 60-Day Florida Rule

Florida does not tax individuals’ income, but it does tax corporations. And because the Florida corporate return starts from the federal one, an IRS audit of a Tampa C corporation does not stay federal for long.

IRS Wage Levy in Hillsborough County

Florida protects wages from most creditors. The IRS doesn't follow Florida's rules.

IRS Bank Levy in Tampa

The IRS froze your Tampa bank account. You have 21 days. Here is how to use that window.

IRS Collection Statute: Hillsborough Guide

The IRS has 10 years to collect. Knowing your exact dates changes the entire strategy.

Offer in Compromise for Hillsborough Taxpayers

Florida's exemptions reduce your Reasonable Collection Potential, making Tampa OICs more competitive.

Unfiled Tax Returns in Tampa: Consequences

No Florida state return to worry about. But the IRS knows what you earned and they will eventually act on it.

IRS Audit Representation in Tampa

IRS audits for Hillsborough County are conducted out of the Tampa IRS office. I've been there hundreds of times.

Currently Not Collectible in Hillsborough County

If you can't pay, the IRS stops collecting. Florida's cost of living and exemptions make qualifying realistic.

IRS Penalty Abatement for Tampa Taxpayers

Penalties inflate your balance by 25% or more. They can be removed, and most people don't know to ask.

Tax Bankruptcy in Hillsborough County

Hillsborough bankruptcy cases go through the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. Florida's exemptions make this powerful.

IRS Installment Agreements for Hillsborough Residents

A payment plan keeps the IRS from levying. But it's not always the cheapest option for Tampa taxpayers.

Tampa Small Business IRS Problems

Tampa's business corridors from Westshore to Ybor to Water Street generate IRS problems every day. The stakes are higher than individual cases.

Tampa Bay Self-Employed Tax Problems

Tampa Bay's gig economy, freelance community, and remote worker influx create a wave of self-employment tax problems.

Payroll Tax Lawyer in Tampa

Tampa's construction, hospitality, and staffing industries generate payroll tax cases constantly. Personal liability is automatic.

Tampa Construction Industry IRS Problems

Tampa's construction boom creates massive payroll tax exposure. Subcontractor misclassification is the hidden trigger.

Tampa Medical Professional Tax Problems

Tampa General, Moffitt, BayCare, and hundreds of private practices. Medical professionals have specific IRS vulnerabilities.