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Accumulating debt is a part of starting and running a venture. Every enterprise has some debt to suppliers, and many owe mortgages for their office or retail space. Maintaining a certain level of business debt can even be healthy for your credit rating, when good-sized payments are regularly made.
But what happens when these payments become fewer and farther in between because the business is no longer generating enough income? Do you, as an entrepreneur consider filing a Chapter 11 business bankruptcy? Isn’t there a better, less drastic solution that will do less harm to your credit rating and business reputation?
Fortunately there is. With business debt settlement, a negotiated settlement can be made with all of your creditors to reduce the amount of unsecured financial obligations. This form of financial relief is aimed only at unsecured loans and will not be applicable to loans on secured property, such as cars, mortgages, or equipment. However, all other form of debt can be negotiated such as credit card, business or commercial loans, loan defaults and charge offs, and pre and post court judgment settlements.
Business debt settlement can provide relief in as few as a couple of days, or as long as it takes to form an agreement with each and every creditor, so the more organized your data is, with the contact information and the correct balance owed, the sooner the resolution will come about. You can negotiate directly with your creditors, but a skilled consultant with a well-known track record will probably get the best results. It would be unwise to try to negotiate directly with your creditors without at least getting advice regarding your individual situation with speaking with a counselor, who is trained in the process and also has a history with and knows most of the creditors that you will be dealing with.
Business debt settlement can be very effective and reduce more than the interest rate at which the accumulated debt is paid; this process can actually reduce the principle of the balance as well. However, in this case there is important tax information that you should know about. When a settlement is reached with the creditor for less than the original balance, if the difference between the settlement and the original balance is more than $600.00, the creditor will file a 1099c form that represents this amount as income to you. Your creditors may accept lesser payments but the IRS will expect to tax this income. Also, the IRS does not allow dept to any taxing authority to be discharged in bankruptcy. A good business debt settlement counselor will be able to advise you on how to deal with this tricky situation.
Finding a good consultant can be a challenge. Sure there are plenty listed in the Yellow Pages and on the Internet, but how do you know how good they are. Try to get a recommendation from a colleague, the Chamber of Commerce, or even your Credit Card Company or other creditor. These companies and banks deal with credit conselors daily and they know which ones have been reliable and efficient in past business debt settlement dealings.
However, you should get advice and the protection that a business debt settlement can give you and your business quickly. If you delay, creditors can sue you and the court fees will be added on to the debt. Also, after you retain a counseling service, your creditors may continue to call or contact you, but they are less likely to do so since the name of the counselor will be entered as the primary contact source regarding the debt.
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