I’m Darrin Mish. Tampa tax attorney, 32 years in, more than $100 million in IRS debt resolved. What follows isn’t theory – it’s what I’ve actually watched work.
Back in 2018, I met with a woman who owed around $45,000 to the IRS. We talked, I gave her the game plan, and I told her plainly:
“Let’s file an Offer in Compromise now – before this gets worse.”
She didn’t move forward. Life got in the way, as it does. But when she called me again in January 2025, the situation had changed dramatically.
Her tax debt had ballooned to $103,000.
The IRS hadn’t forgotten. And neither had interest and penalties.
Step 1: Filing the Offer… Just in Time
We immediately re-evaluated her financials and filed a new Offer in Compromise. Timing was everything. A few weeks in, I got a call from the IRS Offer Specialist handling the case.
It was 4:45 PM, and she hit me with this:
“Today’s my last day at the IRS. If you want this resolved, you’ll need to stay late and finish it with me.”
So I stayed.
By 8:00 PM, we had a signed settlement offer on the books: $19,667.80.
It was a great result. I left the office exhausted, but feeling like I’d just pulled off a miracle for a client who needed one.
Step 2: Plot Twist – The IRS Wasn’t Done Yet
Three months go by. The client’s happy. I’m thinking we’re done.
Then I get a call from a new Offer Specialist.
Apparently, the last one “didn’t know what she was doing,” and he was going to start the process over.
Now, if you’ve ever dealt with the IRS, you know how rare it is to hear an agent throw another under the bus – but this guy? He all but said it was her first day and last day rolled into one.
So we refiled, reargued, and resubmitted.
Step 3: The Final Settlement – Even Better
And just this week, we received the official Offer acceptance from the IRS:
✅ $16,681.80.
That’s a $3,000 savings on top of the original reduction – and a grand total of over $86,000 in tax debt erased.
What’s the Lesson Here?
The IRS is a machine – but it’s a human-powered one. Offers in Compromise don’t just take paperwork. They take strategy, timing, and persistence.
Sometimes you get a win fast.
Sometimes you get a win twice – if you’re willing to stay in the fight.
If you’re staring down a mountain of tax debt, know this:
📉 You don’t have to pay the full amount.
But you do need someone who knows how to navigate the system.
📞 Want to talk? Book a strategy session or shoot me a DM.
You never know… your $103K problem might only cost you $16K to solve.