If you find yourself in a situation where you can’t pay your taxes, don’t panic. Facing a tax bill when you don’t have the money to pay it is a scary place to be. But allowing fear to take over or going down a rabbit hole of worst-case “what-ifs” isn’t helpful. And believe it or not, you do have options! So, let’s take a deep breath and figure things out one step at a time.

Step 1: File your taxes by the regular deadline.

As soon as possible, work with an experienced tax professional to help you file your taxes. They might be able to find credits and deductions that’ll lower your tax bill. And when you owe the IRS, every dollar counts.

Step 2: Pay as much as you can by Tax Day.

The more you pay on your tax bill, the less you’ll have to pay in late penalties and interest. That’s why you should pay what you can by the time Tax Day rolls around. Something is always better than nothing. If you can, take on a side hustle or sell some stuff you have lying around the house.

Now listen, if you’re facing some kind of emergency like a job loss, don’t panic. Forget the tax bill (for now). Instead, focus on the things you really need to survive. Take care of the Four Walls—food, utilities, shelter and transportation—before you do anything else. Once you’ve put food on the table and kept the lights on, then pay the IRS what you can.

Step 3: Keep paying the taxes you owe and talk to the IRS about a payment plan.

Once Tax Day passes, you’ll have a couple of months before the IRS contacts you about the rest of the taxes you owe. In the meantime, keep throwing every available dollar at the balance with the goal of paying it off before they ever contact you.

If you can’t pay off your tax bill by that time, you should apply for a payment plan on the IRS website. And good news—you can set up the plan online without having to call the IRS and wait on hold for hours!