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The IRS Tax Debt Help tool is a guided online questionnaire that points individuals and businesses toward possible ways to address IRS tax debt. It can help you explore routes such as paying over time, asking for a temporary collection delay, or seeking an offer in compromise if you qualify. It does not determine eligibility or submit an application for you.
What is the IRS Tax Debt Help tool?
The IRS announced the Tax Debt Help tool on April 16, 2026, as an online way for individuals and businesses to explore options for resolving tax debt. It asks straightforward questions about your financial situation and tax debt, then uses your answers to direct you toward potential routes. The IRS describes the tool as helping taxpayers understand their options, not as a decision or approval.
In the announcement, IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano said: “This new Tax Debt Help tool reflects the agency’s commitment to making tax compliance clearer, more accessible, and less intimidating for taxpayers.” Read the IRS launch announcement.
How does the questionnaire work?
- Open the IRS Tax Debt Help tool.
- Answer the questions about your tax debt and financial situation.
- Review the possible options the tool points you toward, then use the IRS’s route-specific instructions to check requirements and take any necessary next steps.
The IRS says you can explore options without entering personally identifying information such as your name, address, or Social Security number. That describes the IRS’s stated design; it is not an independent security audit. The tool’s recommendations are based on your answers, and the IRS does not say that receiving a recommendation means you qualify.
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What options might it point you to?
The IRS groups tax-debt routes broadly by how a taxpayer may address the balance. The tool may direct you toward relevant possibilities, but each route has its own requirements and application or follow-up process.
- Pay now: Pay the amount due rather than arrange a different resolution. The IRS Payments page includes this as a general route.
- Pay over time: A payment plan may let eligible taxpayers pay in installments. The tool does not set up a plan on your behalf.
- Ask to pay later: You may be able to request a temporary delay in collection. A delay is not the same as having the debt erased.
- Pay less: An offer in compromise lets qualifying taxpayers seek to settle tax debt for less than the full amount. It is not automatically granted.
These are high-level distinctions, not a complete comparison of eligibility, costs, timing, or consequences. See the IRS Payments page for current route descriptions and links to requirements and next steps for your circumstances.
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What the tool does not do
- It does not establish that you are eligible for a payment plan, collection delay, or offer in compromise.
- It does not guarantee that the IRS will accept a request or proposed resolution.
- It does not apply for a payment plan or offer in compromise on your behalf.
- It does not replace the IRS instructions for applying or responding to follow-up requirements.
Use the questionnaire to narrow down what to investigate, then verify the rules and process on the relevant IRS pages before deciding what to request.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to get case-specific help
If your finances, tax filings, or collection situation are difficult to assess, a qualified tax professional may help you understand your options and prepare for the next steps. The IRS tool is a self-service starting point, not individualized professional advice. No professional or service is endorsed by the IRS simply because you used the tool.
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