NKU to help low-income people fight the I.R.S. | Business

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY (FOX19) - Northern Kentucky University announced Friday that it will offer a Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic to provide assistance to those in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service. The clinic will provide counsel and advice to clients, and represent the clients’ cases before the IRS and in tax court. 

Supervising attorney Monica Ibarra-Burke said she is excited to be a part of the clinic and looks forward to working with eligible taxpayers. “The IRS is a very big organization and can be daunting to most taxpayers,” she said. “I hope we can make the process far less intimidating for our clients.” Ibarra-Burke was formerly with Legal Aid of the Bluegrass and will spend the next several months reaching out to the community to spread the word about the clinic.

Qualifying clients generally must not earn more than certain amounts (currently about $27,925 for a single person or $57,625 for a family of four). Also the amount of tax in dispute generally will not exceed $50,000. Services provided will include proving eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, innocent-spouse tax issues and negotiating a tax reduction and/or payment plan.

“This is not filling out tax returns or answering general tax questions,” said Ibarra-Burke, “but controversy issues such as audits, appeals or even going to tax court.” 

The clinic is located at NKU in Highland Heights. It will serve eligible clients from Greater Cincinnati/northern Kentucky.  For more information call (859) 572-5781.

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