The economic recession (or depression, depending on the hit you’ve taken) has been hard on people in the horse industry. Money goes out faster than it comes in, buyers for horses vanish, bills go unpaid, and creditors start lining up at the stable gate. It’s a vicious circle. Add back taxes to the mix and you have the ultimate whammy.

Anyone in hot water with the Internal Revenue Service might be tempted by a spate of recent television ads from businesses that promise to settle your IRS debt for “pennies on the dollar.” It sounds like a great deal, and for the small percentage of taxpayers who qualify, tax resolution really can reduce the amount you owe the IRS. The problem is that some of the advertisers are better at collecting retainers from their clients than they are at delivering on their claims to reduce IRS debts