I focus my practice on tax resolution, representing taxpayers in Colorado, Florida, Texas, New York, California and elsewhere. The IRS First Time Penalty Abatement (FTP) is a program available to taxpayers who have incurred late filing and/or late payment penalties on their federal income tax returns. The program waives any applicable penalties for taxpayers who qualify. Generally, to qualify for FTP, the taxpayer must meet the following three criteria: 

  1. The taxpayer must have had no prior penalties for the last three tax years.
  2. The taxpayer must show reasonable cause for the penalty incurred (e.g. a death or illness in the family, natural disaster, etc.).
  3. The taxpayer must agree to comply with all filing and payment requirements going forward.