If you are applying for citizenship in another country, there are several requirements you must meet. If you want to belong to Italy, you should know how to get Italian citizenship. Still, if you owe taxes in your current country, you should know that you are still eligible for naturalization. There are many reasons why you haven’t been paying your taxes. It could be financial setbacks mistakes in the past. However, even if you are qualified to apply for citizenship, you need a payment plan. Here is how to go about it.
File the Taxes
This might sound like an obvious point but before starting to pay the taxes, you first need to file your tax returns. This is important to know how much you owe the government. If you don’t know how to go about this process, it is advisable to ask for help from someone who knows. Filing tax returns is vital before you go ahead to set a payment plan.
Request for a Payment Plan
After you have filed the tax returns and received the bill, the next thing you need is requesting for a form to fill. This form will be to request a payment plan. The form is also available online, so you don’t have to download it. However, you should know that the amount you will be and whether your request will be approved depends on the amount of taxes you owe. So, review the amount of taxes you owe to know the available payment plan for you.
Start Making Payments
After coming up with a payment plan, you will need to start paying. You will need to show the authorities that you have been paying the taxes for some time before applying for citizenship. Remember, your debt will be deducted from your tax refunds. So, try your best to complete paying. Any officer has the authority to deny you citizenship if you cannot show that you are paying taxes and you have a plan to clear your debt. So, before applying for naturalization, make sure you have months of proof that you have been making regular payments.
Ask for a Cut
If your debt is too big such that you can never be able to pay it off, the Offer in Compromise (OIC) can offer a cut on the taxes. However, you will need documents that will prove that you can never manage to pay off the debt in full amount. Then, you will be allowed to pay less than you actually owe. This option is not always valid for most people. So, consider it the last resort if you are at the edge. You can use the help of a lawyer to gather supporting papers to act as proof of your inability to pay off the debt.
Conclusion
It is crucial to file your tax return and pay in good time. This is even more important if you are considering applying for citizenship in another country. If you have a tax debt, file your returns, start paying and ask to pay less than your debt if the debt is too big to clear.