Sold on an Offer in Compromise they were never going to qualify for.
TAX DEBT TRIAGE™
Before Anyone Tries to Fix Your IRS Problem, Find Out What Problem You Actually Have.
Tax Debt Triage is a fixed-fee investigation of your IRS or California FTB account. We pull the records, find out what's really happening, and hand you a written Rescue Plan. Then you decide who does the work, including whether you need us at all.
Carlos Samaniego, EA, NTPI Fellow | IRS and California FTB collections specialist since 2017
THE PROBLEM
Most Tax Problems Get Treated Before Anyone Diagnoses Them.
An emergency department triages before it treats. A doctor doesn't schedule surgery because your stomach hurts. A good mechanic doesn't replace your transmission because the check-engine light came on.
But every day, people hire someone to “settle with the IRS” before anyone has pulled their transcripts, checked what's unfiled, or looked at how much time is left on the collection clock.
That's how people end up in the wrong program. Paying for the wrong fix. Or ignoring the one notice that actually mattered.
Negotiating a payment plan while several years of returns were still unfiled.
Terrified of a notice that wasn't the emergency. Ignoring the one that was.
THE RULE
Diagnosis First. Treatment Second.
We never recommend a resolution strategy until your case has been properly diagnosed. That's the whole method.
Built on the TRIAGE-STABILIZE-RESCUE™ method.INVESTIGATION SCOPE
What We Find Out Before Anyone Touches Your Case
01
Exactly what you owe, broken down year by year
02
Which returns are missing and which ones the IRS actually expects
03
What stage of collections you're in and what the agency can do next
04
Whether liens, levies, or garnishments are already in motion, or coming
05
How much time may be left on the collection clock for each year
06
Whether a Revenue Officer is assigned
07
Whether an existing payment plan is still in good standing
08
Which resolution options appear realistic for your situation
09
Which options don't make sense right now, and why
10
What has to happen first, second, and third
THE DELIVERABLE
You Walk Away With a Written Diagnosis. Not a Sales Pitch.
FINDING 01
Tax Debt Triage Report
Current Condition
What's happening in your accounts, explained in plain English.
VERIFIEDPlus a Case Review meeting where we walk you through every finding.
THE PROCESS
How Tax Debt Triage Works
1
Request.
Tell us what's going on. We confirm Triage is the right fit.
2
Authorize.
You sign the authorization forms so we can pull your IRS (and FTB) records.
3
Investigate.
Our team retrieves and analyzes your account records.
4
Review.
You receive your Tax Debt Triage Report and walk through it with us.
Most engagements are designed to wrap up within about four weeks. Agency response times vary and can change that.
THE HONEST PART
Sometimes the Diagnosis Says You Don't Need Us.
A diagnosis that always ends with “hire us” isn't a diagnosis. It's a sales pitch. Your Rescue Plan tells you what should happen, and then you choose who does it.
We handle it.
When your case is a fit for our representation.
VERIFIEDA referred professional.
We point you to a qualified EA, CPA, or attorney. No referral fees change hands.
REFERREDYour own professional.
Take the plan to the CPA or attorney you already trust.
PORTABLEHandle it yourself.
When the case is simple enough, we tell you so.
NO UPSELLFIXED FEE
One Fixed Fee. No Hourly Meter.
IRS Tax Debt Triage
$2,200
Full investigation of your IRS account, written Tax Debt Triage Report, Rescue Plan, and Case Review meeting.
IRS + California FTB Tax Debt Triage
$2,500
Everything above, plus a full investigation of your California Franchise Tax Board account.
Already completed a $297 Tax Debt Triage Review in the last 30 days? That fee is credited toward your Triage.
Triage is a diagnostic engagement. Return preparation, negotiations, offers, appeals, and levy release work are separate and quoted only after your diagnosis.
GOOD FIT
Triage Is for You If:
- You owe the IRS or FTB and don't know your real options
- Letters keep coming and you're not sure which ones matter
- You have unfiled returns and don't know where to start
- Someone quoted you a resolution program and you want to know if it's right
- You want a straight answer before you commit to anything bigger
NOT A FIT
Triage Is Not for You If:
- You want someone to promise a specific outcome today
- You're looking for the cheapest possible option regardless of fit
MEET THE INVESTIGATOR
Meet Carlos Samaniego, EA
Carlos started out as a U.S. Army medic, then worked as an EMT in the Inland Empire. Triage wasn't a metaphor. It was the job: figure out what's actually wrong before anyone starts treatment.
He became an Enrolled Agent in 2017 and has focused on IRS and California FTB collections ever since. He's an NTPI Fellow, the author of multiple books on tax debt, and the founder of Tax Debt Consultants in Redlands, California.
Tax Debt Triage is the way he's always worked. Now it's a product with a name.
Enrolled AgentNTPI FellowCollections Specialist Since 2017Author
Enrolled Agents are federally authorized to represent taxpayers before the IRS.
PROOF
From the Case Files
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[REAL CLIENT RESULT - ADD WITH PERMISSION]
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- What Triage found
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- What the plan recommended
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[REAL CLIENT RESULT - ADD WITH PERMISSION]
- Situation
- [ADD APPROVED DETAILS]
- What Triage found
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Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Tax Debt Triage FAQ
THE COST OF WAITING
Every Month You Wait, the File Gets Thicker.
Penalties and interest keep adding up. Notices move toward enforcement. Options that exist today can narrow later. Getting the diagnosis doesn't commit you to anything bigger. It just ends the guessing.
Urgent notice, levy, or garnishment?Call 909-570-1103