In the US, if you owe taxes, you can negotiate a payment plan with the government. Not sure of the details of the story we are commenting on so I can't say anything about what may have happened. As far as I know, there is not need to end-up on the street. On the other hand, trying to personally manage a large tax debt is a huge mistake. You have to hire an attorney with experience in the domain or you are not going to have the best possible outcome.