Tax Advocacy

9/14/2009

After helping “Angela” obtain an Order of Protection against “James”, her abusive husband, LAET agreed to represent Angela in obtaining a divorce as well.

During the divorce proceedings, the IRS notified Angela that she and James owed $19,000 in delinquent taxes. Like many abusers, James prohibited Angela from receiving mail and denied her access to any information about the family finances, so she had no idea why they owed a tax debt. LAET contacted the Tennessee Taxpayer Project at the Oak Ridge office of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. Through this collaboration, and after months of negotiation, an IRS appeals officer determined that Angela is an “innocent spouse” and not liable for James’ debt.