What It Is
A levy is the IRS taking your money directly. A wage garnishment is continuous and hits every pay period until it is released. A bank levy holds the funds for twenty one days before the bank sends them to the IRS, which gives you a short window to act. Grounds for release include economic hardship, a levy issued improperly, the collection statute having expired, or setting up a resolution like an installment agreement. Getting the levy off is only half the job. You still need to resolve the underlying balance so it does not come back.
Is This You?
- The IRS is garnishing your wages or has levied your bank account
- The levy is causing real financial hardship
- You can propose a resolution, or the levy was improper
What You Can Do
These are the steps that move this forward. Work through them in order.
- Identify the levy type: wage, bank, or other
- Note the deadline, including the bank's twenty one day hold
- Document hardship if that is your ground
- Prepare a resolution to propose, such as a plan or hardship status
- Contact the IRS quickly to request release
- For a bank levy, act before the hold runs out
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Want the Full Walkthrough?
Levy Release Guide
How to get a levy released fast, the hardship argument, and getting wrongly taken funds back.
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