The IRS levied your bank account. Under IRC 6332(c), the bank must wait 21 days after service of the levy before surrendering the money. That window is your chance to act.
Grounds for release
IRC 6343(a)(1) requires the IRS to release a levy in listed situations, including when the liability is satisfied or unenforceable because of lapse of time, when release will facilitate collection, when you have entered an installment agreement that does not provide otherwise, when the levy is creating an economic hardship, and in certain cases where the property is worth more than the liability.
A bank levy hits once
A bank levy reaches what is in the account when the levy is served. The IRS can issue another. Fixing the underlying debt is how you stop the next one.
Joint accounts
A co-owner who does not owe the tax may have a claim to part of the funds. Documentation matters.
General information only, not legal advice. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and IRS procedures change; the sources cited were reviewed on the date shown above.