The Shrinking Safety Net: IRS Tax Debt Agreements Plummet Recent data from the Internal Revenue Service shows a 57% decline in accepted "offers in compromise," a program designed to help taxpayers settle their debts for less than the full amount owed.
In 2025, only 5,500 such agreements were accepted, down from 12,700 in 2023. Taxpayer advocates are sounding the alarm about the consequences of this trend.
Nina Olson, executive director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, calls it "terrible.