Our Mission
IRS Levy Hardship Analyzer is a free, public-interest educational tool designed to help American taxpayers understand the IRS Collection Financial Standards that directly affect their financial lives. When the IRS issues a wage levy (Form 668-W) or a bank account seizure (Form 668-A), most taxpayers have no idea what rights they have or how to fight back. We exist to change that.
Our tool empowers taxpayers to evaluate whether they may qualify for Currently Not Collectible (CNC) hardship status under IRC §6343(a)(1)(D) by comparing their actual living expenses against the IRS National and Local Standards — the same benchmarks the IRS itself uses to determine ability to pay.
Our Data & Methodology
Every figure on this website comes directly from official U.S. government sources. We do not estimate, guess, or fabricate data. Our methodology relies exclusively on:
- IRS Collection Financial Standards — Published annually by the Internal Revenue Service at IRS.gov, these standards define allowable expenses for food, clothing, healthcare, housing, utilities, and transportation.
- HUD Fair Market Rent (FMR) Data — Published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at HUD.gov, FMR data provides county-level and metro-area housing cost benchmarks for studio through 4-bedroom residences.
- IRS Publication 1494 — The official table used to determine the amount of wages exempt from an IRS levy, published annually at IRS.gov.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, Consumer Expenditure Surveys, and regional cost-of-living metrics sourced from BLS.gov.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) data for county-level demographic and economic context, published at Census.gov.
All data is updated annually to reflect the most current IRS standards and HUD Fair Market Rent schedules.
What We Are — And What We Are Not
✅ We are: An educational resource that aggregates publicly available IRS and HUD data into a user-friendly format. We help taxpayers understand the standards the IRS applies during collection proceedings.
❌ We are not: A law firm, CPA firm, enrolled agent practice, or tax resolution company. We do not provide legal advice, tax advice, or financial advice. We do not represent taxpayers before the IRS. We do not sell or market tax resolution services.
We strongly recommend that any taxpayer facing an active IRS levy, wage garnishment, or collection action consult with a qualified tax professional, enrolled agent (EA), certified public accountant (CPA), or tax attorney licensed in their state.
Editorial Independence
IRS Levy Hardship Analyzer has no financial relationship with any tax resolution company, law firm, or financial services provider. Our content is not influenced by advertisers or sponsors. We present government data as-is, without bias or editorialization, so taxpayers can make informed decisions about their own financial situations.
Coverage
Our database covers 2,551 counties, parishes, boroughs, and HUD metro areas across all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories including Puerto Rico. Each county page includes localized IRS standards, HUD Fair Market Rent data, Publication 1494 levy exemption amounts, and a detailed FAQ section with schema markup for search engines.
Contact
For corrections, data inquiries, or general questions, you may reach us through the contact information listed on this website. We are committed to accuracy and will promptly correct any errors in our data or content.