Here's another example of information marketing, written for a popular men's magazine. Instead of trying to sell clients and prospects, we empathize with their predicament and provide valuable information from your area of expertise. Instead of being perceived as a pesky salesperson, you become an ally, an advisor, a partner with expert advise.

How to Get the IRS Off Your Back

By David Brimmer

Steve Jones (not his real name) is a hard-working guy. A long-distance trucker, he owns his own rig. Like a lot of people, he struggles to earn enough to pay his bills. The recession and sluggish economy have really hurt Steve's business. His income has declined, but his expenses haven't.

A frightening letter arrived from the IRS one day, informing Steve that he owed over $80,000 in back taxes. If he didn't pay, the feds could seize all of his assets – including his home, furniture, savings, even his rig. Worse yet, the penalties and interest kept mounting, so he got deeper and deeper in the hole.

Steve was smart enough – and scared enough -- to realize he needed professional assistance.

During our first meeting, I explained to Steve that if you fall behind on your taxes, the IRS can garnish your paycheck until your entire tax liability is paid in full. It can file levies to take all the money out of all your bank accounts, as well as your house, car, furniture, jewelry, art -- anything of value.

If you own a business, the IRS can shut it down and confiscate all your business assets, right down to the carpets, desks and pencils. They can also drain every dime from your business bank accounts.

In addition to personal income taxes, you can be liable for payroll and employment taxes, unemployment taxes, estate and gift taxes, corporate tax, partnership tax, even penalty assessments.

Drawing on my 30 years of experience, I was able to review Steve's situation and put together a package that was both affordable to him and acceptable to the IRS.

The IRS' Little Known Secret

The package, called an Offer in Compromise, is an agreement between you and the federal government that completely resolves your tax liability. If it's done right, you pay just pennies on the dollar. Most people have never heard of OICs. Many can hardly believe such arrangements exist.

I reviewed Steve's financial situation in detail, crunched the numbers, and drew up an offer. The IRS accepted it, and Steve's nightmare was over. Instead of the $80,000 it originally demanded, Steve paid the IRS only $500.

While that's hardly a typical result, it does illustrate how effective a well-crafted Offer in Compromise can be. At my firm, our average settlement is around 10% of the total tax liability. Some, like Steve's, are much lower; some are higher.

Can You Do It Yourself?

Sure. But remember, these are IRS forms. If you think filling out your annual 1040 form is complicated, just try an OIC. You could waste hours, and still end up paying far more than the cost of hiring a pro. Mistakes can be costly in other ways, too -- you sign the forms under penalties of perjury.

While it's possible to do it yourself, most people will get far better results (and end up paying a lot less) by retaining a trained professional tax consultant. Make sure it's someone who's enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service, and chances are you will never have to appear or even talk to the IRS.

Who qualifies?

The IRS is steadily accepting more OICs from taxpayers to settle delinquent accounts. According to the Wall Street Journal, in fiscal 1998, the IRS accepted over 25,000 offers. In 1999, that number rose to nearly 31,000. In fiscal year 2000, the IRS accepted about 27,000 offers –- in just the first six months! I predict those numbers will continue to soar.

Of course, not everyone qualifies for an Offer in Compromise. There must be some doubt about:

whether the assessed tax is correct (your liability)
whether you could ever pay the full amount (your collectibility).

Even if those two conditions are met, there can still be exceptional circumstances. It might be an economic hardship, or a question of whether full payment would be unfair and inequitable. These three conditions provide considerable leeway when negotiating with the IRS.

Negotiations, by the way, usually center on the correct valuation of your assets -- that's the amount the IRS believes they could collect from a quick sale -– and on accurate information about your monthly income and living expenses.

After your OIC is submitted, all collection activities cease while the IRS investigates and evaluates your offer.

Back in 1973, I was a pioneer in taking on the IRS on behalf of the little guy. After almost 30 years of untangling messes for taxpayers from coast to coast, I am proud of my 99% success rate negotiating compromise solutions that satisfy both the taxpayer and the IRS.

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Bio Note: David Brimmer is a tax consultant who is enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service. He specializes in Offers in Compromise and other collection problems for clients throughout the United States and around the world. For a free initial consultation, call him toll-free at 1-877-XXX-XXXX or visit his website at www.877taxrelief.com.