For CPAs, Bookkeepers & Tax Preparers
When your client has an IRS problem, send it to us.
Brightline Tax Group is a resolution-only practice built for referring professionals. Send us the levies, the liens, the revenue officers, and the collection deadlines. We resolve the problem, and your client stays your client.
- Enrolled agents, focused solely on tax resolution
- We never compete with your practice
- IRS & state collection matters
About Brightline
Enrolled agents who do one thing: tax resolution.
Brightline Tax Group is a tax resolution practice run by enrolled agents, federally licensed to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Resolution is not a side service we fit in around tax season. It is the only thing we do.
We built the practice for referring professionals. We are not a tax preparation or bookkeeping firm, and we do not market to your clients. When you send us a taxpayer with an IRS problem, we handle the resolution, keep you informed, and send them back to you.
Timing matters in almost everything we do. Appeal windows can run as short as 30 days, levies move quickly, and penalties and interest keep accruing while a balance sits unresolved. The earlier you refer a client, the more options we can protect.
And the rule we started with still stands: no false promises. If a resolution option is not realistic for a client, we say so.
Services
What we take off your plate.
Every engagement below is handled start to finish: we take over communication with the IRS, protect your client's rights and deadlines, and pursue the strongest available resolution.
Revenue Officer Representation
When the IRS assigns a taxpayer's case to a revenue officer, the situation is serious and urgent. This is no longer a routine notice; it is personal, field-level enforcement, and the officer has the authority to file liens, levy bank accounts and wages, and demand financial records and interviews. The process is complex, and a misstep, an unfiled return, or a missed deadline can quickly make things worse. A taxpayer should never face a revenue officer alone, and we step in immediately to take over all communication, bring them into compliance, and negotiate the best available resolution.
Appeals & Collection Due Process
When the IRS issues a notice of intent to levy or files a federal tax lien, the taxpayer has a short and unforgiving window to appeal, generally 30 days to request a Collection Due Process (CDP) hearing, and missing it can mean losing important rights. The CDP process and the Collection Appeals Program (CAP) involve strict deadlines, specific forms, and strategic decisions, and a single misstep can expose the taxpayer to enforced collection. We step in immediately to preserve their appeal rights, build the strongest possible case, and pursue the best available resolution. Referring taxpayers early is critical, because the clock starts running the moment the notice is issued.
Payroll Tax Problems & Trust Fund Recovery
Unpaid payroll taxes are one of the IRS's top enforcement priorities, and taxpayers who fall behind can face audits, penalties, liens, levies, and even personal liability through the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. We handle IRS audits, interviews, and negotiations, and pursue a permanent resolution or settlement that is manageable.
Garnishment, Lien & Levy Removal
When the IRS or a state taxing authority files a lien or levy against a taxpayer's assets, the consequences can be immediate and severe, including frozen bank accounts, garnished wages, seized funds, and damaged credit. We act quickly to analyze the taxpayer's situation and, where the facts support it, work to stop or release the levy, remove or withdraw the lien, or secure a temporary hold on collection while a longer-term resolution is developed. A lien or levy is not the end of the road, because there are many options for resolving the underlying tax debt.
Penalty Abatement
IRS penalties for late filing, late payment, and other failures can add thousands of dollars to a taxpayer's balance, and interest keeps accruing on them until they are resolved. The IRS can remove or reduce penalties for reasonable cause, IRS error, or first-time abatement, but the request must be well documented and presented, or it can be denied. We review the taxpayer's history, build the strongest possible case for relief, and handle the request and any appeal with the IRS.
Offer in Compromise
An Offer in Compromise allows certain taxpayers to settle their IRS debt for less than the full amount owed, but it is one of the most scrutinized and frequently rejected resolution options. The IRS reviews the taxpayer's income, expenses, assets, and ability to pay, and the taxpayer must be in full filing and payment compliance, so a poorly prepared offer can cost valuable time while penalties and interest accrue. We determine whether the taxpayer qualifies, prepare the strongest possible offer, and negotiate with the IRS through acceptance or appeal. Early referral matters, since the right strategy depends on the taxpayer's full financial picture and the time left on the collection statute.
Installment Agreements
An IRS installment agreement lets taxpayers pay back taxes over time instead of in one lump sum, but the terms the IRS offers by default are not always the best available. The taxpayer must generally be current on filing and estimated payments, and a poorly prepared request can lead to unaffordable payments or a rejection. We analyze the taxpayer's finances and negotiate the most affordable terms the IRS will accept, including a Partial Payment Installment Agreement in some cases, which may reduce both monthly payments and the total amount paid. Early referral helps limit the penalties and interest that build while the balance remains unpaid.
Currently Not Collectible
When a taxpayer genuinely cannot pay, the IRS can place their account in Currently Not Collectible status, which pauses levies, garnishments, and active collection while their financial situation recovers. The status is not automatic: the IRS requires detailed financial documentation, and the account remains subject to periodic review. We prepare and present the case, work to secure the status, and use the breathing room to develop a longer-term resolution.
Innocent Spouse & Injured Spouse Relief
Joint tax returns can leave one spouse responsible for tax debts or refund losses caused by the other, even when they had no knowledge of the problem or no part in creating it. We can help resolve these issues so the taxpayer is protected from tax liabilities that they did not create and were not aware existed.
Contact us
Have a client who needs us? Let's talk.
Call us about a client, a notice you are not sure about, or how a referral works. The conversation is confidential, and there is no obligation on you or your client.
We never sell or share your information.