When you owe the IRS back taxes you need to have an idea of the total amount. Remember to add up your total from every year. Many people find themselves owing back taxes from several years because they did not file annually, as they were supposed to. It is important to know the total liability that you are facing as opposed to only one years worth of problems.

Now that you know your total liability you can decide how you are going to pay the IRS. Most tax professionals will suggest that you pay a lump sum if this is affordable to you. This depends on how much you owe in back taxes, and how much money you have in your possession. If you do not owe a lot you can pay all at once as a way of avoiding interest and further penalties.

I don’t have enough money to pay a lump sum! This situation calls for an installment agreement. This agreement allows you to pay the IRS back taxes in monthly payments instead of a lump sum. The downside of paying a little bit each month is that the IRS will charge you interest. But if this is the only way for you to pay your back taxes it is something you have to deal with for the present time.

If you owe the IRS back taxes you need to pay them or setup an installment agreement without further delay. They will get their money soon enough, and you want to cooperate along the way to ensure that your situation does not spiral out of control.