Strike a deal with IRS? Harry, have you lost it?
A reader questions why Harry recommended trying to clear a debt with the IRS for about 17 percent of the amount he owes.
DEAR HARRY: I have thought for some time about your response in a recent article regarding the individual who owed $30,000 to the IRS. I read it with disgust! Your suggestion was that he contact IRS and make an offer in compromise of $5,000 to settle the entire debt. Amazing, isn't it, that an individual can do every stupid thing he can and your response is, "Why don't you cheat and get away with your bad conduct by paying only 16.7 percent of what you owe."
Your response ignores and is disrespectful to individuals who pay their taxes and obligations and live their lives with a moral compass. Boy, would I like that deal! Somehow, it seems that all the idiots with bad conduct and bad habits get the reward, and decent individuals get the shaft. Harry, I think you're losing it!
What Harry says: Many people, through no fault of their own, get into a financial bind. Many others fall because of their own actions. My view is that the downtrodden need help. This was also true of the fathers of this nation. I refer you to the Constitution: Article I, Section 8, Clause 4, where bankruptcies are provided for. Keep in mind that these were quite likely the smartest group of men ever assembled in the history of mankind. They also had great compassion. My mother taught us that, "If a person in need asks, you must give." The IRS Code reflects this in the provisions for compromise. I must also tell you that not every offer is accepted. I haven't lost it yet!