IRS eases rules to help delinquent taxpayers

2/24/2011

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service says it’s trying to help people struggling to pay delinquent tax bills, so it’s reducing property liens and easing rules for small businesses to enter into installment agreements.

As the economy soured, the agency filed more liens on property owned by delinquent taxpayers. The IRS filed nearly 1.1 million liens in the budget year that ended in September, compared with 426,000 in 2001.

The steps will double the amount of back taxes a person can owe before facing a possible lien. Under the new policy, the threshold is increased from $5,000 to $10,000.