Blog
IRS Completes Unprecedented Campaign Targeting Employment Tax Crimes
By: Kevin Murphy, Esq. In our most recent blog post, we discussed the importance of timely payment of payroll taxes and how serious the IRS is taking the issue of criminalizing the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. As a follow up, we wanted to pass along a recent news release from the IRS that highlights the conclusion of an unprecedented two
WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS PAY YOUR PAYROLL TAXES: A PRIMER ON TRUST FUND RECOVERY PENALTIES (PART 2)-CRIMINAL EXPOSURE
By: Kevin Murphy, Esq. In Part 1, of this blog, we explained and discussed the civil aspects of IRC 6672- the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (TFRP). At the end of Part 1, we mentioned that the civil statute is virtually identical to the criminal statute. The two statutes are highlighted below: Section – IRC 6672 (Civil) Any person required to collect,
“But It’s Not My Fault” How to Obtain Innocent Spouse Relief
By: Heather L. Marello Married taxpayers often file their annual income tax returns electing “married filing joint” status. While often beneficial from a tax perspective, spouses rarely understand that, by electing this status, each spouse agrees to be liable for the entire amount due for that year – whether it is the liability reported as due on the return or
Voluntary Disclosure options for taxpayers after the closing of the OVDP
By: Tiffany D. Bell When the IRS closed the 2014 OVDP last fall, which had provided an avenue for taxpayers to come into compliance with any past offshore tax and information reporting, it left many taxpayers and tax practitioners wondering, what do we do now? Since 2009, the IRS has offered taxpayers a variety of voluntary disclosure programs within which
Think the IRS is quiet during the Shutdown? Think Again! Another Form 3520 Trap for the Unwary
By: Randall P. Andreozzi Things are emerging from the abyss that is the longest government shutdown in United States history. Yes, there exist some things so resilient, so pervasive, so constant they can survive and proliferate even in a governmental vacuum. Our friends who are U. S. citizens living abroad know this species all too well and are likely collectively
Client Privilege – When you have it & when you don’t may surprise you.
By: Gary P. Bluestein Many accountants incorrectly assume that their communications with their tax clients are always privileged and confidential. Unfortunately, sometimes tax cases can cross over into potential criminal exposure for a client, and not knowing the scope and limitations of privilege can be devastating, both to the practitioner and to the client. Although there is limited privilege provided
Understanding the IRS Collection Process (Part 4)
By: Margaret Fichtner This is the last entry in our 4-part series of understanding the lifecycle of a tax controversy. In Parts 1, 2 & 3 we discussed an overview of a controversy, understanding the audit process, and also the appeals process. In this 4th and final entry we will discuss what happens after a taxpayer files their Tax Return
Introduction to IRS Appeals and the U.S. Tax Court (Part 3)
By: Michael J. Tedesco, Esq. Introduction to IRS Appeals IRS Appeals is a separate branch of the IRS, whose purpose is to resolve tax controversies between the IRS and taxpayers through an informal, administrative process, fairly and impartially, without litigation. IRS Appeals has substantive experts in many of the same areas as the IRS (i.e. designated personnel who deal only
Understanding Audit, Issues and Strategies (Part 2)
By: Heather L. Marello, Esq. Types of Audits Pursuant to the IRS Data Book, during calendar year 2016, the IRS audited almost 1.1 million tax returns, or 0.5% of all returns filed. A representative never can (or should) predict to a client whether his or her return will be selected for audit, as a number of factors can cause the
The Lifecycle of a Tax Controversy (Part 1)
By: Michael J. Tedesco, Esq. We find that accountants and taxpayers are often unfamiliar with certain aspects of the typical tax controversy (i.e. how a tax matter moves through assessment, Tax Court/Appeals and Collections). We have put together a series of articles moving through “The Lifecycle of a Tax Controversy”. What follows is the first part of what will be