Liens on credit can impede job search
Chances are, you or someone you know has been looking for a job this year. With businesses “right-sizing” and looking to cut costs, employment opportunities are scarce. Those who are hiring usually have their pick of a wide range of qualified applicants. So how do these employers narrow the field?
Some potential employers have been using credit checks as a means of screening applicants. From their point of view, it is a way to find out if someone is responsible; it is also a red flag to an employer that a person with financial difficulties might be more likely to steal or embezzle.
Whether or not these are legitimate reasons to do a credit check, the fact remains that employers do use them to screen out “undesirable” candidates. If you have a tax problem, there may be a lien on your credit. This would let the employer know that you owe back taxes to the IRS or State. In fact, any lien against your credit or property is a matter of public record. Technically, an employer could discover your tax problems even without pulling your credit report. If you owe back taxes, you could have a lien on you and not even know it, if you have changed addresses since you last filed a tax return.
Of course it is difficult to find the means to address a tax problem if you are struggling or unemployed. But clearing up your back taxes can lift barriers that may stand in your way of getting a good job. We offer a free consultation to those with a tax problem so that you can see what your options are. If you’re unsure whether you have a lien, you can check your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com (this is an official government-sponsored website and the only truly free credit report service, not to be confused with the one in the TV ads).
Lothamer is a professional firm of Certified Public Accountants, and was founded by Jesse I. Lothamer, J.D., C.P.A. in 1978. The firm specializes in Tax Representation and Tax Problem Resolution, and has helped thousands of clients settle their tax problems with the IRS and State of Michigan. We not only solve tax problems, but we also show clients innovative ways to get current. With offices across the State of Michigan, Lothamer is Michigan’s leading Tax Resolution Firm, and will continue to provide the general public with tax representation and tax problem resolution for a wide variety of tax problems.