PPIA Eligibility Calculator (Private IRS Screening)

Estimate Whether the IRS May Accept Reduced Monthly Payments Before You Apply
A Partial Payment Installment Agreement (PPIA) is an IRS payment option that allows some taxpayers to make reduced monthly payments when full repayment of tax debt before the collection statute expires is not realistic.

Many taxpayers apply for a PPIA without understanding how aggressively the IRS reviews income, expenses, assets, and compliance. A denied request can immediately trigger enforcement actions, including bank levies, wage garnishment, or tax lien filings.

This private screening helps you estimate PPIA eligibility before submitting IRS financial disclosures or committing to a payment strategy.
Stack of papers with a pen on top on a desk, next to a small folded newspaper labeled NEWS, with a calculator and office shelves in the background.

PPIA Eligibility Calculator

Screen Your Eligibility Before Making IRS Financial Disclosures

Answer a few questions about your income, expenses, assets, tax balance, and compliance status to estimate whether reduced monthly payments may be negotiable under IRS standards.

This calculator estimates:

Your monthly and discretionary income using IRS national and local standards.
Whether the IRS may expect you to use asset equity, savings, or available bank balances.
How your tax balance, collection statute of limitations, and collection statute expiration date affect eligibility.
Whether compliance issues, such as unfiled returns or unpaid federal tax deposits, increase enforcement risk.

Your results will indicate one of three outcomes:

Likely PPIA Candidate — Reduced monthly payments may be negotiable under current facts.
Possible, High Scrutiny — Approval depends on how financial information is calculated and presented.
Unlikely Right Now — Another tax relief strategy may better protect you at this stage.

Nothing you enter is shared with the IRS. This is a private eligibility screening only.

Step 1 of 4

Step 1 — IRS Tax Debt

If you do not currently owe federal taxes, the calculator will stop.
Do you currently owe federal taxes to the IRS?
Please select an option.
Next

Step 2 — Balance & Ability to Pay

Enter your estimated IRS balance owed and whether you can pay it within 6 years.
Estimated total IRS balance owed
Must be greater than $0.
Please enter a valid dollar amount greater than $0.
Can you afford to pay the full IRS balance within 6 years?
Please enter a valid dollar amount greater than $0.
Please select an option.

Step 3 — Income & Collection Pressure

Disposable income and collection pressure impact the PPIA score.
What is your approximate monthly disposable income after expenses?
Please select an option.
Are you currently facing IRS collection actions?
Please select an option.

Step 4 — Filing Status

If required federal tax returns are not filed, the calculator will stop.
Are all required federal tax returns filed?
Please select an option.

Not eligible

This is an estimate only and not legal or tax advice. IRS approval is not guaranteed.

Your PPIA Result

Based on your answers, here’s your estimated PPIA eligibility tier and confidence level.

-

-
Score: “Not sure” answers:
  • Interest and penalties generally continue to accrue while you are on a PPIA.
  • The IRS may re-review your finances periodically and adjust the payment.
  • Proper documentation and accurate financial inputs matter.
Score reflects common PPIA risk factors and is not an IRS determination or guarantee.

What This Means

If a PPIA is appropriate, your payment is typically based on your ability to pay after allowable living expenses. This can reduce immediate monthly pressure compared to a standard installment agreement — but it does not automatically remove the balance, and the IRS can require updated financials in the future.

How PPIA Differs From Other IRS Options

  • Standard Installment Agreement: Designed to pay the balance in full over time.
  • Offer in Compromise (OIC): A settlement program with strict rules and documentation.
  • PPIA: Monthly payments based on ability to pay when full payoff is not realistic before the collection deadline.

What You Entered

PPIAs involve ongoing IRS monitoring and periodic review. This checklist explains how PPIAs work, what the IRS evaluates each year, and what must be done to keep the agreement in place without escalation.
Download Emergency Checklist
If any of this is inaccurate, go back and update your answers for a more reliable estimate.
This is an estimate only and not legal or tax advice. IRS approval is not guaranteed.

Verify Your PPIA Options (Free Review)

Your result is an estimate — not an IRS determination. Whether a Partial Payment Installment Agreement is realistic depends on verified income, allowable expenses, compliance status, and timing factors like the IRS collection deadline.If you want a tax resolution specialist to review your situation and confirm whether a PPIA makes sense (or whether another option is better), request a confidential review below.
Request My PPIA Review
We’ll review your info and contact you to discuss next steps. No obligation.
Important Disclosure
This calculator provides general informational estimates only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Actual IRS decisions depend on documentation, compliance history, current rules, and your specific financial situation.
Take the Next Step
Use this calculator to understand your position before agreeing to any IRS action or payment arrangement. If results indicate risk, reviewing options early may help preserve flexibility.

What a Partial Payment Installment Agreement Is

A Partial Payment Installment Agreement (PPIA) is an IRS payment arrangement where monthly payments are based on your financial situation rather than the full tax balance, and the payments do not fully satisfy the liability before the collection statute expires. The IRS typically reviews your finances about every two years, and any remaining balance becomes uncollectible only if the statute expires and is not extended. A PPIA is not an offer in compromise and does not require a lump-sum payment, making it an option when full repayment is unrealistic but ongoing payments are possible.

Two contrasting couples: one with empty pockets and saving money with a piggy bank and hourglass on a green platform with a checkmark, the other with a serious expression standing by a house, gavel, IRS document marked with an X, and stacks of money on a red platform.

Who Qualifies for a PPIA — and Who Is Denied

When a Partial Payment Installment Agreement May Apply

Limited disposable income under IRS rules
Minimal asset equity available
Full payment not possible before statute
Full filing and payment compliance

What Your Result Means

How to Interpret PPIA Eligibility

Likely candidate with reduced payments
Possible but subject to scrutiny
Unlikely under current circumstances
Consider safer alternative options
Illustration showing three colored blocks with symbols representing financial growth and approval in green, questions and caution in yellow, and decline with security issues in red, alongside a blue platform with a shield, life preserver, and directional sign.
Person signing documents on a clipboard surrounded by financial papers, calculator, computer with graphs, scales balancing a house and car against money, and a secure safe with cash.

How We Help With PPIA Cases

If your screening result is positive or borderline, we manage the process carefully and correctly.

We help by:

Reviewing IRS transcripts and history
Calculating allowable disposable income
Identifying asset exposure risks
Preparing and negotiating submissions

Use the Calculator — Then Act

If your results show meaningful wage garnishment exposure, delaying action usually benefits the IRS — not you.

Understanding your numbers early helps you make informed decisions before each paycheck is affected.

A workspace with US dollar bills and coins, a calculator, eyeglasses, pens, legal documents, a clipboard with lined paper, and a wooden judge's gavel on a light marble surface.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a Partial Payment Installment Agreement (PPIA)?
How does the IRS decide whether to approve a PPIA?
Is a PPIA better than an Offer in Compromise?
Can the IRS still take collection actions during a PPIA?
How often does the IRS review a PPIA?
What happens if my income decreases after a PPIA is approved?
Should I submit IRS Form 9465 before confirming PPIA eligibility?

Result sent!

Please check your email to review the result.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Result sent!

Please check your email to review the result.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.