{"id":66071,"date":"2026-02-18T20:54:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T20:54:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T20:54:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T20:54:48","slug":"what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/","title":{"rendered":"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\">\n<p>      <span class=\"img embed__content\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/d5bb5e30-c64a-48dc-af75-1fed6c7bdc8a\/thumbnail\/620x496\/706aed37c160a28856e35a5f9a248a29\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg#\" alt=\"Tax preparation tools on a desk with a calculator and tax forms during filing season in a home office setting \" height=\"496\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/d5bb5e30-c64a-48dc-af75-1fed6c7bdc8a\/thumbnail\/620x496\/706aed37c160a28856e35a5f9a248a29\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg 1x, https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/d5bb5e30-c64a-48dc-af75-1fed6c7bdc8a\/thumbnail\/1240x992\/d3b86ac1fb41773d41d523362aa81ee9\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg 2x\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\">\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__caption\">The IRS has programs for people facing genuine hardship, but you&#8217;ll have to meet the requirements to enroll.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                Muhammad Aqib\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/products\/gao-26-107977\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">collected trillions of dollars<\/a> in outstanding taxes last year, but there are still millions of Americans who have not yet paid their tax debt and are now officially behind on what they owe. When you <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-is-tax-debt-a-comprehensive-explanation\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">owe taxes to the federal government<\/a><\/span>, it can be a tough situation to handle, whether a job loss, a medical emergency or a tax bill that arrived at the worst possible time caused it. And, things can feel even more dire as <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-happens-if-you-owe-the-irs-but-cant-pay\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">the penalties and interest pile up<\/a><\/span>. What many taxpayers don&#8217;t realize, though, is that the IRS isn&#8217;t always the unforgiving creditor it&#8217;s made out to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While the agency does have some <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/hidden-costs-of-ignoring-your-irs-tax-debt\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">effective tools at its disposal<\/a><\/span> to compel you to pay your tax bill, it also has a range of programs designed specifically for people who are genuinely <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-happens-if-you-owe-taxes\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">unable to pay what they owe<\/a><\/span>. Enrolling in one of these programs can pause collection activity, reduce your total debt or allow you to pay less than the original balance. The catch? You have to meet their definition of financial hardship, and that threshold is clearly outlined by the IRS.<\/p>\n<p>So what exactly does the IRS consider a hardship, and how do you prove you qualify? Below, we&#8217;ll detail what you need to know.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/z8334422a137?s1=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fwhat-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow, sponsored, noopener\">Find out how to get help with your IRS tax debt now<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The IRS defines <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/payments\/get-help-with-tax-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a financial hardship<\/a> as a situation in which paying your tax debt would prevent you from meeting basic living expenses. This isn&#8217;t a vague, subjective standard, though. The agency uses something called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/businesses\/small-businesses-self-employed\/collection-financial-standards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the collection financial standards<\/a>, which is a set of national and local expense allowances for things like housing, food, transportation and healthcare. Your actual income is measured against those benchmarks to determine whether paying your tax debt would leave you unable to cover necessities.<\/p>\n<p>There are a few specific programs that hinge on these hardship determinations. One is <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-is-the-minimum-payment-the-irs-will-accept\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Currently Not Collectible (CNC) status<\/a><\/span>, which the IRS can grant when your monthly income barely covers your allowable expenses, much less your outstanding federal tax bill. Once you&#8217;re placed in CNC status, the IRS temporarily stops collection efforts \u2014 meaning <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-to-stop-the-irs-from-garnishing-my-wages\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">no more wage garnishments<\/a><\/span> or bank levies \u2014 though interest and penalties continue to accrue, and the IRS will reassess your financial situation periodically.<\/p>\n<p>Another hardship-based option is an Offer in Compromise (OIC), which allows qualifying taxpayers to <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-to-settle-your-irs-tax-debt\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">settle their tax debt<\/a><\/span> for less than the full amount owed. To be approved, you have to demonstrate that the full liability is genuinely uncollectable given your assets, income and expenses. The IRS rejects a significant share of OIC applications, so documentation matters enormously, whether that&#8217;s bank statements, pay stubs, medical bills, mortgage or rent records or any other evidence that paints a clear picture of your financial situation.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s also the possibility of <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/who-qualifies-for-the-irs-hardship-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">penalty abatement for hardship<\/a><\/span>, which won&#8217;t reduce the underlying tax debt but can eliminate some of the penalties that have built up around it. First-time penalty abatement is the most accessible route, available to taxpayers with a clean compliance history, while reasonable cause abatement applies when you can show that circumstances beyond your control \u2014 like a serious illness, a natural disaster or the death of a family member \u2014 prevented you from filing or paying on time.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.money.com\/pr\/z8334422a137?s1=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fwhat-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow, sponsored, noopener\">Compare your IRS tax relief options online today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>When to consider professional tax relief help<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Navigating <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/who-qualifies-for-the-irs-fresh-start-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">IRS hardship programs<\/a><\/span> on your own is possible, but it&#8217;s rarely simple. The paperwork is detailed, the standards are strict and a single misstep in how you present your financial information can result in a rejected application or a repayment agreement that&#8217;s still more than you can afford.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s where <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/best-tax-debt-relief-companies-top-advice-to-know-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">tax relief companies<\/a><\/span> can help. These companies employ tax experts who specialize in negotiating with the IRS on behalf of taxpayers, and for people with significant unpaid tax balances \u2014 generally $10,000 or more \u2014 working with a professional can meaningfully improve your odds of getting a favorable outcome. <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/tax-relief-should-you-hire-a-pro-or-do-it-yourself\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">A qualified tax relief professional<\/a><\/span> can evaluate which hardship program you&#8217;re most likely to qualify for, handle the documentation and communicate directly with the IRS so you don&#8217;t have to.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re already behind on your taxes and watching the balance grow, getting a professional assessment sooner rather than later is worth considering. The IRS does have time limits on <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/how-far-back-can-the-irs-say-you-owe-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">how long it can collect a debt<\/a><\/span>, but it also has substantial tools at its disposal in the meantime, and working with an expert generally turns out better than taking the do-it-yourself approach.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The bottom line<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>An outstanding IRS tax debt doesn&#8217;t automatically mean financial ruin, but it does require action. The IRS has real programs for people facing genuine hardship, but the key is to understand which one fits your situation \u2014 and to present your case the right way. If the process feels overwhelming, working with a tax relief professional to prove your hardship could make a lot of sense. By taking this route, you may be able to better navigate your options and ensure that you&#8217;re making the right decisions for your tax debt.<\/p>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n<p class=\"content__meta--editors\">\n      Edited by<\/p>\n<p>                                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/team\/matt-richardson\/\" class=\"byline__author__link\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Matt  Richardson<\/a>\n                      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n      <!-- tags --><br \/>\n    <\/section>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The IRS has programs for people facing genuine hardship, but you&#8217;ll have to meet the requirements to enroll. Muhammad Aqib\/Getty<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66072,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS? - World News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Struggling to pay your tax bill? The IRS has programs that may help, but you&amp;#039;ll need to prove that you qualify.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS? - World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Struggling to pay your tax bill? The IRS has programs that may help, but you&amp;#039;ll need to prove that you qualify.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg\" \/><meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"998\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\"},\"headline\":\"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/\"},\"wordCount\":890,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"Top Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/\",\"name\":\"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS? - World News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00\",\"description\":\"Struggling to pay your tax bill? The IRS has programs that may help, but you&amp;#039;ll need to prove that you qualify.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"description\":\"World News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"width\":581,\"height\":581,\"caption\":\"World News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\",\"name\":\"News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS? - World News","description":"Struggling to pay your tax bill? The IRS has programs that may help, but you&amp;#039;ll need to prove that you qualify.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS? - World News","og_description":"Struggling to pay your tax bill? The IRS has programs that may help, but you&amp;#039;ll need to prove that you qualify.","og_url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/","og_site_name":"World News","article_published_time":"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""},{"url":"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg","width":1920,"height":998,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/"},"author":{"name":"News","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2"},"headline":"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS?","datePublished":"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/"},"wordCount":890,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","articleSection":["Top Stories"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/","name":"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS? - World News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-18T20:54:48+00:00","description":"Struggling to pay your tax bill? The IRS has programs that may help, but you&amp;#039;ll need to prove that you qualify.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/what-qualifies-as-a-hardship-with-the-irs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What qualifies as a hardship with the IRS?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","name":"World News","description":"World News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization","name":"World News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","width":581,"height":581,"caption":"World News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2","name":"News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","medium":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1","medium_large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1","large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1","1536x1536":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1536&resize=1536,1536&ssl=1","2048x2048":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=2048&resize=2048,2048&ssl=1","colormag-highlighted-post":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=392&resize=392,272&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-medium":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=390&resize=390,205&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-small":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=130&resize=130,90&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=800&resize=800,445&ssl=1","colormag-default-news":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image-large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1400&resize=1400,600&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-block-extra-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1155&resize=1155,480&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=600&resize=600,417&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-small-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=285&resize=285,450&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-medium-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=575&resize=575,198&ssl=1"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"News","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The IRS has programs for people facing genuine hardship, but you&#8217;ll have to meet the requirements to enroll. Muhammad Aqib\/Getty","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Top Stories"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":14,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":5,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1",1200,630,false],"medium":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1",300,300,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2026\/02\/18\/70131df3-085f-4525-8577-9aceae587bf6\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/2d935c41eb434b98334c3e9594eaf478\/gettyimages-2258297145.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1",150,150,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"News","author_link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-32\">Top Stories<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66071"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66071\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}