A levy isn't a warning. It's the taking.

By the time a levy lands, the IRS has sent its warnings — the Final Notice of Intent to Levy came at least thirty days before. What happens next is mechanical and fast: your bank freezes the account the day the levy arrives, holds the funds for 21 days, then sends them to the IRS. That 21-day window is where we work.

What the IRS can levy

• Bank accounts — frozen on receipt, swept after 21 days.
• Wages — a continuing levy that hits every paycheck until released (see Wage Garnishment).
• Business receivables — letters to your customers redirecting your invoices to the IRS.
• Other property — brokerage accounts, retirement funds in some cases, and physical assets (see Seizures).

How levies get released

1. Immediate contact and negotiation — a resolution in motion (installment agreement, hardship status, offer) is the standard ground for release.
2. Economic hardship — if the levy prevents basic living expenses, the IRS must release it; proving that is documentation work we know cold.
3. Procedural defects — required notices skipped? The levy can be invalid.
4. Collection appeals — CDP and CAP appeals can halt collection while your case is heard.