Your income
Your monthly income from all sources, measured against what the IRS treats as necessary living expenses.
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Independent information & referral service · Not the IRS
Owe more tax than you can pay? See your real options for a fresh start.
FreshLedger Tax Settlement is an independent service that connects people carrying back-tax debt with licensed, independent tax professionals — enrolled agents, CPAs and tax attorneys — who can review whether an Offer in Compromise, a payment plan or another option fits their situation. We are not the IRS, and we do not provide tax services ourselves.
- Straight talk about an Offer in Compromise — strict rules, and not for everyone
- Matched with a licensed, independent tax professional who reviews your options
- The only thing we ask for here is an email — never your SSN or financial details
FreshLedger Tax Settlement is not the IRS or a government agency, is not affiliated with the IRS, and does not provide tax, legal or financial advice.
A calmer next step
Honest options — not a “pennies” pitch
- Independent & licensed pros
- Not the IRS
- Email only — no SSN
- Free to get matched
- Honest about eligibility
The free reward
The Fresh Start Guide, in plain English
One short guide that explains how IRS tax-debt relief actually works — Offer in Compromise, installment agreements, currently-not-collectible status and penalty relief — plus a printable checklist of the factors that affect whether you may qualify. No jargon, no hype, and no request for sensitive information.
- Enrolled agents, CPAs & tax attorneys
- No SSN or account numbers
- No spam, ever
- Unsubscribe anytime
FreeTo get the guide and to be matched with a professional
50 statesIndependent tax professionals listed nationwide; availability varies
EA · CPA · AttorneyLicensed credentials represented in the network
Email onlyNo SSN, income, debt or account numbers collected on this page
Figures describe how the service works and are illustrative only. Availability of professionals, credentials and coverage vary by state and change over time. Nothing here is a promise that you will qualify for any program or achieve any particular result.
How it works
From back-tax worry to a real plan, in four steps
Four steps, start to finish. The sprout climbs the path as you scroll — and it stays in its own lane, out of the way of everything you are reading.
- Step 1
You reach out — with an email, nothing more
Start with a single email address. No Social Security number, no income figures, no account numbers on this page — just a way to send you the free guide and, if you want it, an introduction.
- Step 2
We match you with a licensed professional
We connect you with an independent, licensed tax professional — an enrolled agent, CPA or tax attorney — who handles cases like yours. If we cannot match you well, we will tell you so rather than stall you.
- Step 3
They review your options honestly
Your professional looks at your full picture and says plainly which paths are realistic: an Offer in Compromise, an installment agreement, currently-not-collectible status, penalty relief, or simply filing overdue returns. Not everyone qualifies to settle.
- Step 4
You decide — and you can always go direct to the IRS
If you move forward, the licensed professional you choose is solely responsible for the work. You can also apply for an Offer in Compromise yourself, for free, directly with the IRS at IRS.gov.
No tax IDs, income figures or account numbers are collected anywhere on this page. Any sensitive details are handled by the licensed professional you choose, inside their own secure system.
The honest version
What an Offer in Compromise actually is
An Offer in Compromise (OIC) is an IRS program that lets some taxpayers settle a tax debt for less than the full amount owed. It exists for people who genuinely cannot pay in full — not as a shortcut, and not the “pennies on the dollar” promise you may have heard on the radio.
It is for genuine hardship
The IRS generally accepts an Offer in Compromise only when paying the full amount would create real financial hardship, or when there is legitimate doubt about how much you owe or whether it can be collected.
Strict eligibility, real paperwork
You generally must have filed all required tax returns, not be in an open bankruptcy, and be able to document your income, expenses and assets. The IRS reviews all of it before deciding.
Most people do not settle for a tiny fraction
The amount the IRS will accept is based on your ability to pay, not on a slogan. Many applicants do not qualify for an Offer in Compromise at all, and are better served by a payment plan.
It is not the only path to a fresh start
Installment agreements, currently-not-collectible status, penalty abatement and simply filing overdue returns are often the more realistic route. A licensed professional can tell you which one fits.
You can apply on your own. An Offer in Compromise can be submitted directly to the IRS, for free, at IRS.gov, and the IRS offers a pre-qualifier tool. A licensed professional can help you decide whether it is worth pursuing — but the choice, and the eligibility, are always yours and the IRS’s.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Eligibility and any settlement amount depend on your specific facts and are determined by the IRS.
General information
What affects whether you may qualify
No website can tell you whether you qualify — only the IRS decides, and a licensed professional can help you weigh it honestly. In general, an Offer in Compromise looks at a handful of things.
Your allowable expenses
The IRS applies national and local standards for things like housing, food and transportation — not simply what you happen to spend.
Your assets and equity
Equity in a home, vehicles, savings and certain retirement accounts factors into what the IRS believes you could reasonably pay.
Your ability to pay over time
If you can clear the balance through a monthly installment plan, the IRS generally expects that instead of accepting a reduced amount.
Being current and compliant
You generally must have filed all required returns and be current on this year's estimated payments or withholding before the IRS will weigh an offer.
Legitimate doubt about the debt
In some cases there is genuine doubt about how much is actually owed. That is evaluated differently from an offer based purely on inability to pay.
These factors are general educational information, not a determination of eligibility and not tax or legal advice. The IRS makes the decision based on your complete, current financial picture. Many taxpayers do not qualify for an Offer in Compromise and are better served by an installment agreement or another option.
How we help
We connect you with a licensed professional — we don’t do the tax work
Here is the honest division of labor. We are the introduction, not the representation. The licensed professional you choose is the one who evaluates your options and, if you hire them, does the work.
We match — we do not represent you
FreshLedger Tax Settlement is an information and referral service. We help connect you with an independent, licensed professional. We do not negotiate with the IRS, prepare returns, or give tax or legal advice ourselves.
Licensed, independent professionals
Matches are enrolled agents, CPAs or tax attorneys who are independently licensed and solely responsible for the services they provide to you.
Email first — your details go to them
You give us only an email address. Any financial details you share go to the professional you choose, through their own secure system — never onto this page.
You are always free to go direct
You can apply for an Offer in Compromise yourself, for free, at IRS.gov, and you can get free help from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service. We will tell you that plainly.
Free help exists, and we will point you to it. The IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service is a free, independent organization within the IRS that helps taxpayers in trouble. Reach them at 1-877-777-4778 or at IRS.gov.
Composite stories
What a realistic outcome sounds like
Illustrative examples, not statements from identified clients. Individual experiences vary, and no outcome is promised.
I owed several years of back taxes and assumed I would have to settle for pennies — that is not what happened. The enrolled agent I was matched with was honest: I did not qualify for an Offer in Compromise, but she set up an installment plan I could actually afford. Knowing the real answer was the relief.
What mattered to me was that nobody asked for my Social Security number or bank details just to have a conversation. I got the guide by email, then chose a CPA who reviewed everything inside his own secure portal. It felt safe, and it felt honest.
A tax attorney reviewed my situation and told me an Offer in Compromise was realistic in my case, because I genuinely could not pay. It still took months and a stack of paperwork — it was not a magic button — but for my family it was worth it.
These stories are illustrative composites created to show the range of realistic outcomes — including not qualifying to settle. They are not statements from identified clients, individual experiences vary, and nothing here predicts or promises a specific result, savings amount or approval.
Straight answers
Questions worth asking first
No. FreshLedger Tax Settlement is not the IRS, is not a government agency, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS. We are an independent information and referral service that helps connect people with licensed, independent tax professionals. You can always deal with the IRS directly, and for free, at IRS.gov.
One email, one guide
Know your real options before you make a move.
The Fresh Start Guide takes a few minutes to read and can save you from a “settle for pennies” pitch that was never going to fit your situation. Free, no obligation, unsubscribe in one click.
Prefer to go straight to the source? You can apply for an Offer in Compromise yourself, for free, at IRS.gov, and get free help from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service at 1-877-777-4778. We think you should know that.