You Have Rights With Private IRS Debt Collectors
The IRS has cancelled its contracts with Pioneer and Performant. If you had a payment plan with either of those companies, it has been terminated. If you want to stay in a payment plan you’ll have to request a new one from the IRS or from a new debt collector if your case is assigned to one. The IRS is now using CBE Group, Coast Professional, and ConServe as private collectors.
You need to know that these three private debt collectors for the IRS cannot make you pay. They are only authorized to offer you a voluntary payment plan that will pay your IRS debt in full. If you cannot afford a full-pay plan, or do not want to work with the private debt collectors, they cannot make you. They have no enforcement authority. If you do get into a payment plan with a private debt collector, 25% of your money is going to them instead of to the government. The IRS is no longer allowed to have their private debt collectors collect from people who are below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, or whose income is entirely from Social Security Disability or SSI.
If you are struggling with an IRS debt and want to know your options, contact us to see if we can help. We’re free!
And you can read more about the IRS’s private debt collectors here and here.