About Tax Relief 101
An independent educational resource built on IRS law, not sales tactics.
Our Mission
Tax Relief 101 exists to give taxpayers direct access to the same IRS rules, formulas, and procedures that licensed professionals use every day. We believe that understanding your rights and options should not cost thousands of dollars or require navigating misleading advertising.
Every guide, calculator, and glossary entry on this site is built from primary IRS sources: the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM), IRS publications, revenue rulings, and official IRS.gov resources. We do not manufacture claims, and we do not guarantee outcomes. The IRS retains discretion over all program approvals.
What We Are
- An independent educational resource focused on IRS tax resolution
- A knowledge base cross-referenced with official IRS publications and the IRM
- A free public resource with interactive calculators that mirror IRS formulas
- A site that clearly cites every source and links to official IRS documentation
What We Are Not
- We are not a law firm, CPA firm, or tax resolution company
- We do not file tax returns, represent taxpayers before the IRS, or provide legal advice
- We do notguarantee any IRS outcome — all programs are subject to IRS discretion
- We do not sell contact information or operate as a lead aggregator
Expert Review
Joseph Lancaster
Tax & Accounting Professional • 10+ Years Experience
All content on Tax Relief 101 is reviewed and informed by Joseph Lancaster, who has worked in tax and accounting for over a decade. Joseph studied accounting at UCLA and continued his education at Stanford. He has founded multiple projects focused on one core belief: taxpayers deserve direct access to the same IRS rules and data that professionals use, without paying firms thousands of dollars to simply file IRS forms on their behalf. His work centers on putting that information and control back in the hands of the people who need it most.
Editorial Standards
Every piece of content on Tax Relief 101 follows a strict editorial process designed for accuracy, transparency, and compliance with IRS authority.
Primary Source Verification
All legal claims are verified against official IRS sources: the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM), Treasury Regulations, Revenue Rulings, and IRS.gov publications. Our Source Registry lists every citation used across the site.
Classification System
Every data point in our system is classified as one of four types: IRS Authority (direct IRS law or IRS.gov — verifiable and citable), Procedure (IRS internal processes), Derived Guidance (interpretation based on IRS rules), or Heuristic (rule-of-thumb, clearly labeled as such). We never present derived guidance as IRS authority.
IRS Discretion Language
We use non-deterministic language throughout the site. We say “may qualify,” “subject to IRS discretion,” and “based on case-specific factors” rather than guaranteeing outcomes. All IRS programs involve review, verification, and discretionary approval.
Quarterly Review Cycle
Content is reviewed and updated to reflect current IRS standards, interest rates, and threshold changes. Our data engine uses a versioned source-of-truth file that tracks every update with timestamps. All IRS National Standards and financial thresholds are updated when the IRS publishes new figures.
Professional Referrals
When a taxpayer's situation requires professional representation, we may connect them with licensed Enrolled Agents, CPAs, or tax attorneys. Here is how that works:
- Referrals are clearly labeled and only offered when the content identifies situations that require professional assistance
- We do not sell, share, or distribute personal information to third-party marketers or lead aggregation services
- Calculator data entered on this site is not stored or transmitted unless the user explicitly chooses to request a professional analysis
- The educational content on this site is always free and does not require any contact information to access
What This Site Covers
IRS Programs
OIC, IA, CNC, Fresh Start, Innocent Spouse, Penalty Abatement
Collection Defense
Levy release, lien withdrawal, CDP hearings, audit defense
Tax Law Reference
IRM Simplified, 200+ glossary terms, source registry
Calculators
OIC Eligibility, CSED Clock, IRS Expense Standards
State Relief
State-by-state tax relief guides for all 50 states
2026 Updates
Current interest rates, thresholds, and law changes
Questions or Corrections?
If you find an error, have a question about our sources, or want to suggest an improvement, we welcome your feedback. Accuracy is our highest priority.
Editorial corrections: editorial@taxrelief101.com