Before you run around in an uproar ranting about how there is no such thing as an innocent spouse or, worse yet, go spouting off about how much you would like to provide an example of an injured spouse, let it be known now that in this case, the title of this article is in reference to tax relief.
There are a number of surprises that can jump up and kick you square in the seat of your pants when you get married, but some of the worst can be those that reach out and touch you ever so unpleasantly when you marry someone who owes an IRS tax liability. One of the biggest thorns in your side is finding out that the IRS has kept your yearly tax refund and applied it toward your spouse’s unpaid back taxes. This is definitely a time in which tax relief will come in handy. Auspiciously enough (and almost unbelievably so, considering this is the IRS), there is a program called the IRS Injured Spouse Relief program that allows for a rather painless way out of this sticky situation.
There is another nasty predicament which may feature the same possible outcomes in regards to your tax refund. Regrettably, you may find yourself similarly embroiled in a situation like this when you file a joint return with someone who, shall we say, fudges the truth a bit when completing your yearly IRS income tax return. Again, whether you want to admit it or not, the IRS was looking out for people in this situation when they rolled out the Innocent Spouse Program. In this tax relief program, you basically have the responsibility of proving that you were unaware of the falsification or omission of information; as the name implies, you were innocent and not aware of the errors.
In some instances, these programs will be helpful even if you are no longer married to the other party. So, as you see, where tax relief is concerned, injured and innocent spouses can be so much more than just wishful thinking and figments of your imagination.
