IRS Form 15086 Instructions
Federal law requires the Internal Revenue Service to keep a copy of accepted offers in compromise for up to 1 year after acceptance. Public law also allows for any taxpayer to request a copy of any offer acceptance report during this timeframe, using IRS Form 15086, Offer in Compromise Public Inspection File Request.
In this article, we break down everything you need to know about IRS Form 15086, including:
- How to complete and file IRS Form 15086
- Why requesting an offer acceptance report might not be the best idea if you’re submitting an offer in compromise of your own
- Frequently asked questions
Let’s begin with a step by step overview of IRS Form 15086.
Table of contents
How do I complete IRS Form 15086?
This one-page tax form should be relatively straightforward to complete. First, let’s go over some things about the offer acceptance report that you’ll want to know.
What is an Offer Acceptance Report?
An offer acceptance report is a report that the Internal Revenue Service generates to describe the terms and conditions of an accepted offer in compromise, submitted on IRS Form 656. This report, also known as IRS Form 7249, is made available to the public, upon request, for up to 1 calendar year after acceptance.
This form is what you are attempting to request when you file IRS Form 15086. Let’s start at the top.
Identify the accepted offer in compromise
To request a specific offer in compromise that has already been accepted by the IRS, you will need to identify that offer here. Include the following information, to the extent possible, in the space provided:
- Offer number
- Taxpayer name
- Address
- Any other pertinent information about the accepted offer
How the form should be sent
You can request the Form 7249 to be sent to you by:
- Mailing address
- Fax (provide phone number)
Requestor information
In this section, you’ll want to enter the information regarding the person who is requesting the accepted offer. This includes the following information:
- Requestor’s name
- Address, including city, state, and zip code
- Daytime telephone number
Also, indicate whether you are requesting this information for yourself, or on behalf of a client.
How to file
You can send your completed request to the IRS by fax or mail. The IRS prefers that requests be faxed to: (855) 286-3809.
If filing by mail, send your request the the following address:
IRS PIF Request
Offer in Compromise, Mail Stop 880
5333 Getwell Road
Memphis, TN 38118
Filing considerations
There are a couple of things you may wish to consider when filing IRS Form 15086.
No sweeping searches allowed
In other words, you cannot just search the IRS as if there is a massive database filled with accepted offers, just to see what you can get away with. Each request must pertain to a specific, accepted offer.
Most of the time, people who are requesting a specific offer are looking for a previously accepted offer that they are familiar with. Many of these people have significant experience working with offers in compromise and have expertise that an ordinary taxpayer might not.
Outstanding offer acceptance letters are only available for one year
Even if you are aware of an accepted offer, you might be too later. The Internal Revenue Service only makes these offers available for one year after acceptance.
Your circumstances may be different
Even if you believe that your situation is identical to that of an accepted offer, there are many variables that do not appear on the Form 7249 report.
For example, there is no information from the submitted Collection Information Statement, which lists the taxpayer’s assets and income sources. Since the IRS’ determination is at least partially based upon a calculation of what the taxpayer can afford, you might not be comparing apples to apples.
You may be better off using the IRS Offer Pre-Qualifier Tool
The IRS’ pre-qualifier tool has a much more significant correlation to a successfully submitted offer than reviewing reports that other taxpayers have submitted. You are probably better off using this tool to shape your proposed offer than you are using reports from other offers.
Video walkthrough
Frequently asked questions
IRS Form 15086, Offer in Compromise Public Inspection File Request, is used to request public copies of IRS Form 7249, Offer Acceptance Report. Form 7249 contains specific details about a previously accepted offer.
An offer acceptance report might not have everything you need to submit an offer in compromise because there is a lot of information missing from the report. A better way to understand what the IRS will accept is to use the IRS’ Offer in Compromise pre-qualifier tool, which you can find on the IRS website.
An offer acceptance report, known as IRS Form 7249, is available upon request for up to 1 year after the IRS has accepted an offer in compromise. You can use IRS Form 15086 to request an offer acceptance report.
