MD Sullivan Tax Group
MD Sullivan Tax Group

IRS tax debt can feel like a crushing weight, and in that moment of vulnerability, struggling taxpayers are often drawn to companies promising quick fixes. The marketing is polished, the assurances sound convincing, and the desperation to believe them is real. But as Michael Sullivan and Peter Salinger, authors of Exposing The Secrets For IRS Settlements, co-founders of MD Sullivan Tax Group, and both former IRS agents and true experts, point out, the reality is rarely as simple as advertised.

"Due to false and deceptive marketing, people are often led to believe that settling their IRS tax debt is easy," says Sullivan. "The truth is, only a small percentage of settlements are ever accepted. The last data reported, acceptance rates were among the lowest we have ever seen at only 21%, far below the historical average of 30-40%. The downward trend is alarming. Yet marketing continues to tell taxpayers that anyone can settle for pennies on the dollar."

The appeal of tax settlement is understandable. Individuals and business owners overwhelmed by mounting tax bills want relief, and they want it fast. Salinger explains that many taxpayers don't even realize how they got into such deep financial trouble. "Sometimes it's a lack of knowledge," he says. "Someone may have been a wage earner for years with taxes automatically withheld, then they become self-employed and don't realize they need to make estimated payments. Suddenly, they are tens of thousands of dollars behind without knowing how it happened or how to fix it."

This confusion creates an opening for companies that market heavily around IRS debt relief. According to Sullivan, the tactics are often misleading from the very start. "The ads are technically true but designed to mislead. You will hear lines like 'The IRS wrote off billions this year.' While that's factually correct, most of those write-offs are due to the statute of limitations expiring, not because of IRS settlements. Yet companies make it sound like anyone can qualify," he says.

The process usually begins with telemarketers trained to inspire false hope. "They will tell people what they want to hear before even reviewing the case," says Salinger. "And then comes the request for a credit card number. People are billed before anyone knows whether their case even has a chance." For individuals and businesses already in crisis, that false hope can quickly become another layer of financial pain.

At MD Sullivan Tax Group, Sullivan and Salinger take a fundamentally different approach. With decades of experience inside the IRS, they know how the Offer in Compromise (OIC) program truly works, because they have worked it. Salinger managed a group of IRS employees reviewing OIC submissions, and Sullivan himself spent years approving and rejecting cases. "We have been on the inside, making those decisions," says Sullivan. "We know what an acceptable offer looks like, and we don't waste people's time or money when it doesn't."

That experience allows them to assess cases with remarkable accuracy. "In an initial consultation, I can ask a few key questions, monthly income and asset values, for example, and in most cases, I can predict whether the IRS will accept an offer," Sullivan explains. "If we don't think an offer will be accepted, we simply don't take the case."

For Salinger, this refusal to take hopeless cases is one of the firm's defining values. "We are not here to collect upfront fees for promises we know won't pan out," he says. "We only move forward when there's a legitimate chance for success. That honesty protects clients from wasting money they don't have."

Beyond expertise, the firm emphasizes a level of personal involvement not found in larger agencies. At many companies, clients are first courted by polished salespeople, only to have their case passed down a chain of less experienced staff. At MD Sullivan Tax Group, every case is handled directly by experienced professionals. "When we take on a case, we work it," says Salinger. "We don't pass it off. Clients know exactly who is handling their matter and what's happening at every step."

The difference lies not only in knowledge, but in integrity. "People come to us at one of the lowest points in their lives," Sullivan reflects. "They deserve honesty, not false promises. We believe in giving them a clear picture of what's possible and guiding them to the best resolution available."

In an industry clouded by misleading marketing, Sullivan and Salinger stand as voices of experience and transparency. Their message is simple: while not every tax debt can be erased, there is a path forward. Review your finances with a professional, always insist on a video call before hiring, and when guided by people who understand the system from the inside, you have the best chance of success.