suspended licence for owing taxes

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I was off work for 8 months now for multiple surgeries and was putting in applications to go back to work. I had been living off a short term disability thru work after my PTO and vacation time was gone. The problem was years ago, as a travel nurse, I worked in California and had Missouri as my home address since I moved every 8 to 13 weeks and did not want to register car etc. Missouri sent me a notice saying I owed for that time I worked in California, I did not file in MO than because I did not work there. I had since filed with MO but they went back 8 years and companies and states do not keep records past 5 years so had to get the IRS transcripts so show what was paid where. Missouri still says I owe them so now I am unable to work as a nurse, no way of paying them without a job or making pay arrangements without a job. I have worked now 22 years and this has nothing to do with my ability as a nurse, its more about being poor. I doubt it but can you work in other states with this on my record? Should I just surrender my MO license? Should I cash in my 401K and live on that till it runs out and just go from there. I do not own a house but with disability and my health insurance going to be ending soon, kind of stuck on what to do next. Not enough money for a lawyer unless I use my 401k money and then nothing to live on.

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Perhaps you should seek a Tax professional service. You cannot dodge taxes unless you are dead.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

Cashing in a 401k is rarely a good idea but if you do, you would be better off to use it to pay the back taxes & get your license active again than to just burn through it on living expenses.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Defaulted student loans can also keep you from renewing your license in some states.

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Specializes in Pedi.

When you live in one state and work in another, you owe state taxes to both states if both have state taxes and unless there is a reciprocal agreement between the states.

How would you expect to get a license by endorsement in a new state when your current license is suspended? When you apply for a new license, the BoN in the new state will ask if you've ever had a license suspended or any kind of disciplinary action taken against your license so that won't work.

I agree with RainMom. Cashing in a 401K is rarely advised and you'll pay a large tax penalty for doing that but I definitely wouldn't recommend trying to live off of it but if you go that route, using it to pay your back taxes and get your license reinstated so you can get working again.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
I was off work for 8 months now for multiple surgeries and was putting in applications to go back to work. I had been living off a short term disability thru work after my PTO and vacation time was gone. The problem was years ago, as a travel nurse, I worked in California and had Missouri as my home address since I moved every 8 to 13 weeks and did not want to register car etc. Missouri sent me a notice saying I owed for that time I worked in California, I did not file in MO than because I did not work there. I had since filed with MO but they went back 8 years and companies and states do not keep records past 5 years so had to get the IRS transcripts so show what was paid where. Missouri still says I owe them so now I am unable to work as a nurse, no way of paying them without a job or making pay arrangements without a job. I have worked now 22 years and this has nothing to do with my ability as a nurse, its more about being poor. I doubt it but can you work in other states with this on my record? Should I just surrender my MO license? Should I cash in my 401K and live on that till it runs out and just go from there. I do not own a house but with disability and my health insurance going to be ending soon, kind of stuck on what to do next. Not enough money for a lawyer unless I use my 401k money and then nothing to live on.

Most states have tax amnesty programs that allow you to pay off over time or even reduce the amount you owe. I know California does because I have used it. When I was married to my "Ner do well" 1 st husband I didn't pay my taxes for 4 years. I got it down to 25 cents on the dollar and paid it all in one lump sum. Still you can't get blood from a turnip as my daddy used to say. Have you considered finding a legal aid clinic who could advise you?

Hppy

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

You need to address this situation and take steps to resolve it.

Hiding, avoiding or pretending it doesn't exist will not change the reality of it.*

You need professional tax help to navigate the waters.

It doesn't have to be tax lawyers or a big named tax place.

Ask for recommendations, do some on-line research and call/interview companies. They should be willing to do evaluations.

Once you get a realistic look at the situation and options available you can decide the best course. There are probably options you aren't ware of like offer in compromise or such.

Your burden will ease once you have a plan in place to deal with this.*

Living under this kind of burden is soul-sapping. It is just as bad as a terminal condition in some ways for the distress it causes.

This can be fixed and you don't have to live under a rock,

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On your record? I was not aware anyone got a rap sheet for back taxes but nothing surprises me. Can you make arrangements to pay taxes back and get in good graces with BON?

Have to be careful with travel. I would only take assignments which didn't offer a ton of 'tax free' pay because it is not tax free, it is paid by the RN who does the assignment. I learned hard way after being his with 3K in California taxes, not late and I paid the whole thing in a lump sum. In the time it took my check to get to Sacramento I accrued 78 cents more, the tax board sent me a letter thanking me for my payment and telling me I was still 78 cents in arrears so I sent a check for 78 cents (yes, .78, 78 pennies.) Smallest check I'd ever written. They then sent a letter thanking me and telling me I was paid in full. I got away from travel and am more than happy to have California take all their taxes before I see my check.

I do not understand why they penalize people they want money from by taking away their means to make money.

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
I was off work for 8 months now for multiple surgeries and was putting in applications to go back to work. I had been living off a short term disability thru work after my PTO and vacation time was gone. The problem was years ago, as a travel nurse, I worked in California and had Missouri as my home address since I moved every 8 to 13 weeks and did not want to register car etc. Missouri sent me a notice saying I owed for that time I worked in California, I did not file in MO than because I did not work there. I had since filed with MO but they went back 8 years and companies and states do not keep records past 5 years so had to get the IRS transcripts so show what was paid where. Missouri still says I owe them so now I am unable to work as a nurse, no way of paying them without a job or making pay arrangements without a job. I have worked now 22 years and this has nothing to do with my ability as a nurse, its more about being poor. I doubt it but can you work in other states with this on my record? Should I just surrender my MO license? Should I cash in my 401K and live on that till it runs out and just go from there. I do not own a house but with disability and my health insurance going to be ending soon, kind of stuck on what to do next. Not enough money for a lawyer unless I use my 401k money and then nothing to live on.

You have ALL my sympathies. I had a MO mailing address, lived and worked in KS, they got me. I lived in KS and worked a couple agency shifts in MO, they got me. Missouri will take a turnip grind it up and put it through Hell to obtain 3 red blood cells.

Do what you must to get this satisfied and return your license status to active, (unless you want to work as something other than a nurse.)

Do you have an active license in some other state and don't need your MO license? Just making your license inactive will not get you off the hook. You will have to pay a penalty fee and unpaid back fees to get your license all buffed up to be eligible to work in the grand state of Missouri.

Did I say you have ALL my sympathies?

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Wow!!! I had no idea that could happen. Get a lawyer & work out a payment plan I guess. How are you supposed to pay off anything without working? Sounds like the return of debtors prison

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Specializes in Critical Care.

You need a professional. Before you entered into the world of travel nursing, you should have researched the tax implications of such. One of the most common things people run into is that they maintain a "primary" residence in one state, and work in another.

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How about a payment plan or in worse case scenario a reorganization bankruptcy. The Court should impose a stay against actions against you and this may include a debt related suspension

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