Why Speed Is Everything in a Levy Case
Once the IRS issues a Final Notice of Intent to Levy, you typically have 30 days before collection begins — and once a bank levy hits, funds are frozen for 21 days before being remitted. We use that window aggressively. Our team files Collection Due Process appeals, requests CAP hearings, and presents financial documentation that demonstrates the levy is creating an economic hardship under IRC §6343.
Same-Day Response Cases are triaged the day you call. Power of Attorney is filed immediately so the IRS deals with us, not you.
Direct Revenue Officer Contact We speak the IRS's language and know what each office accepts as proof of hardship.
Protected Communication Attorney-client privilege shields your disclosures in a way CPAs and enrolled agents alone cannot offer.
Stop the IRS From Taking Your Paycheck
A wage levy is continuous — it follows every paycheck until the debt is satisfied or the levy is released. We negotiate full or partial wage levy releases by establishing an installment agreement, currently-not-collectible status, or an Offer in Compromise that replaces the garnishment with a manageable solution.
Hardship Releases Demonstrate that the levy prevents you from meeting basic living expenses.
Employer Coordination We notify payroll the moment the release is issued so your next check is whole.
Long-Term Resolution A released levy without a settled balance just invites a new one. We close the underlying debt.
Unfreeze Your Accounts Before the 21-Day Window Closes
The 21-day holding period exists for one reason: to give a qualified representative time to act. We file Form 911 (Taxpayer Advocate), request immediate manager-level review, and document hardship to recover funds before they are surrendered to the IRS. In appropriate cases, we recover funds already remitted through wrongful-levy claims.
Emergency Filings — Taxpayer Advocate referrals for medical, payroll, and mortgage emergencies.
Wrongful Levy Recovery — Pursue return of funds where the levy was procedurally defective or struck the wrong taxpayer.
Joint Account Defense — Protect a spouse's or co-owner's interest in seized funds.
Defending Homes, Vehicles, Accounts Receivable, and Retirement
The IRS's seizure authority extends well beyond paychecks and bank accounts. We defend against levies on accounts receivable that can shut a business down overnight, Social Security and retirement income, and the rare but devastating real-property seizure. Where a Notice of Federal Tax Lien has already filed, we pursue withdrawal, subordination, or discharge so you can refinance, sell, or borrow.
Business Receivables Keep your operating cash flow intact while we negotiate.
Retirement & SSA Halt levies on protected income streams.
Lien Relief Withdrawals and subordinations that restore your credit and borrowing power.
Why Clients Choose TFD for Levy Defense
Attorney-CPA team combining tax law, accounting, and litigation experience under one roof. Former IRS prosecutor on staff. Decades of New Jersey and federal practice, with results in U.S. Tax Court, District Court, and the IRS Appeals Office. Confidential, privileged consultations from the first call.
How fast can you get a levy released?
In emergency cases — payroll, mortgage, medical — we routinely secure releases within 24 to 72 hours of being retained, depending on the IRS office and the documentation available.
Will the IRS take my entire paycheck?
Federal law allows you to keep an exemption based on filing status and dependents, but the rest can be taken. A negotiated release replaces that garnishment with a payment plan you can actually live on.
What if my bank already sent the money to the IRS?
Funds are held for 21 days before being surrendered. If we are retained inside that window, we can often stop the transfer. Even after remittance, wrongful-levy claims and refund procedures may still recover the funds.
Can the IRS take my house?
Real-property seizures are rare and require judicial approval, but they do happen. We intervene long before that stage by resolving the underlying liability or proving the seizure would create hardship.
Do I need an attorney, or can a CPA handle this?
Only an attorney provides attorney-client privilege. In any case where the underlying tax issue could touch on penalties, fraud exposure, or litigation, that privilege is critical.
Our Tax Resolution Team
Thomas F. Dilullo
Attorney, CPA
Valeriya Avdeev
Attorney
Nick Kokis
Attorney, Former IRS Prosecutor
Jessica McCarthy
CPA, Offers in Compromise
Michael D. Flynn
Attorney