If you owe IRS can u still declare bankruptcy?

Lets say you dont have money and are broke and aside of that u owe irs from years ago.. can u declare bankrupt? will it affect ur status with the irs??

Public Comments

YES!
You can file but it will NOT wipe out your debt to the IRS. Nothing short of death or paying it off can wipe out a debt to the government.
Bankruptcy won't make taxes go away. You need to make an appointment with the IRS and review your financial position. Bring a detail listing of your income and expenses along with supporting bank statements. Try to get the best deal you can its your only chance with the IRS.
Yes you can file for bankrutpcy. The rules were made more stringent in 2005. There was NEVER any guarantee that a judge would accept all debts as dischargeable. As to the IRS, IRS debt is NOT dischargeable in bankruptcy (ditto student loans--people need to wake up to that fact). HOWEVER, it may be possible to do an Offer in Compromise with them. You do NOT have to file bankruptcy to go that route. Read: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=104593,00.html You might as well call them because they know who you are and where you live so you can't duck them. You may end up simply having to cut expenses and increase income, even if that means moving in with people and working multiple jobs.
How old is the IRS debt? If that's your only debt it is pretty pointless to file bankruptcy. You should speak with a bankruptcy attorney. If you do do an offer in compromise with the IRS, you can't be in bankruptcy during the process. You need to get that done before even contemplating bankruptcy. Also, while IRS debt is normally not dischargeable, if it's over three years old it MIGHT be dischargeable depending on the nature of the debt.