Negotiating with The IRS

Okay, I know the mere mention of those three letters cause shivers to go up and down our spines, but that will be a thing of the past! My course on " How to Negotiate with The IRS" will be out soon, and dealing with the IRS will never be the same!!!! Be sure to visit my blog on a daily basis or at least a couple of times during the week to find out when my cutting edge course is released. Better yet, sign up for my Free Newsletter and get notified first - Click Here

Talk to you soon.

Be well and to your success.

James A. Gage
www.NegotiatingForALiving.com

Negotiating: Happy 4th of July

As we spend this 4th of July weekend with family and friends, let’s pause for a moment and think about what this Independence Day really means. As our country goes through hard times, let us remember that the sacrifices of those that have gone before us paid so we may enjoy the opportunities and freedoms which make this the best country in the world.

Happy 4th of July to you and yours, and don’t eat too much BBQ.

James A. Gage

Negotiating Tips: Tip 2 of 8

2. :Develop "negotiation awareness" Successful negotiators are assertive and challenge everything. They know that everything is negotiable.

"Challenge" means not taking things at face value. It means thinking for yourself. You must be able to make up your own mind; as opposed to believing everything you are told. On a practical level, this means you have the right to question the asking price of that new car. It also means you have an obligation to question everything you read in the newspaper or hear on television. You cannot negotiate unless you are willing to challenge the validity of the opposing position.

Being assertive means asking for what you want and refusing to take "no" for an answer. Practice expressing your feelings without anxiety or anger. Let people know what you want in a non-threatening way. Practice 'I' statements. For example, instead of saying, "You shouldn't do that," try substituting, "I don't feel comfortable when you do that."

It should be noted... To read the rest of the article Click Here

Negotiating Penalties & Interest With The IRS

Hello All:

Here is your Negotiating Article of The Month for June 2010. This month we will venture into the subject of the IRS ! Enjoy...

James A. Gage

Negotiating Penalties & Interest With The IRS: Click Here

Negotiating Tip: How To Keep in Control of Negotiations

How do you keep in control of negotiations has been an age old problem since the time of the Romans. Many times the negotiations start out with you in control, and rapidly spiral out of control allowing your opponent to gain control and eventually claim victory in the negotiations.

So here is the million dollar question, how do you prevent this from happening? Good question, I’m glad you asked! Let’s say your in the heat of negotiations and suddenly you feel the scales of power tipping in favor of your opponent – what do you do?
Do you sit back, let it happen and chalk this one up in the lose column? Do you become argumentative and get up and leave? Or do you take what you can get, and walk away with the notion that something is better than nothing?
Absolutely not! You employ a tactic known as a side bar : definition: a discussion between the judge and attorneys at the bench off the record and outside the hearing of the jurors or spectators, often focusing on issues other then the main issue.

So this is what you do. You have 2 choices, you can ask a question or start addressing an issue that is off the main point in order to regain control, and once you feel your back in control of the negotiations you can revisit the main point(s) of the negotiations.
If there is a single issue you’re negotiating, ask for a break to use the restroom, or to make a phone call, or even to retrieve something from your vehicle! The purpose of this tactic is to break your opponent’s rhythm, stop their forward progression, throw their game off and cause them, when reengaged to revert back to their submissive position in the negotiations. Contrary to popular belief, not all negotiations are a “win – win” situation; the mark of a great negotiator is always striving to be on the win side of the equation.

To your success,

James A. Gage

Negotiating Tips: Real Estate Short Sales Part 3

Hello All:

Here we are at blog entry # 3 on how I negotiated a short sale for way under fair market value.

After the Realtor presented my concerns and offer to the bank, the bank counted with a higher sales price dismissing my fix up costs. So what did I do? I had contractors sign affidavits substantiating my fix up costs and assessment of the property, I then submitted this and the original offer back to the bank.

Less then 24 hours later the bank agreed to my terms. Why? I was able to document and substantiate what I represented in negotiations.

Remember, when you have the facts on your side, you argue the facts, when you have the law on your side,you argue the law, when you have neither, you pound the table.

Until next time.

James A. Gage

Negotiating Penalties & Interest with The IRS

Negotiating with the IRS is not as hard as one would imagine when it comes to penalties and interest! Let me qualify that statement before I get a flood of e-mails telling me I don’t know what I’m talking about.

First, interest is statutory, meaning its federal law, that under no circumstances and or situations can this interest be waived! However, interest can be deferred if you enter your client into an installment agreement or if you obtain a moratorium.

Secondly, penalties can be waived – finally some good news! However, they can only be waived after the initial principle, interest and penalties have been paid in full. Then you may apply for “Abatement”, AKA waiver of all penalties; of course this is not a guaranteed approval, but is based on the circumstances behind the delinquency ( this is where you negotiating skills on paper will serve you well ).

This is one of the many factors you must keep in mind when negotiating an IRS tax situation for your client as an Independent Arbitrator. Stay tuned for more helpful tips and strategies…

James A. Gage