Cuts in the IRS budget from $14 billion in 2010 to approximately $12 billion in 2017 have resulted in staff reductions by about one-third during that time frame. IRS staffing dropped to less than 10,000 agents for the first time since 1953. As a result of the cuts, audit rates have dropped for all income […]
Tax Fraud Blotter Fair Oaks, Calif.: Tax lawyer Hiram M. Martin, 71, who represented retired professional football player Antrel Rolle, has been sentenced to three years in prison today for fraudulently obtaining refunds for Rolle, stealing the refunds and then covering up his scheme by filing false documents with the Internal Revenue Service. Martin, who […]
The IRS Is Now Using Private Debt Collectors. After years of warning taxpayers that the IRS will never cold call you to collect a tax debt, things are about to change as the IRS begins handing over some of its debt-collection work to private firms who probably will call you. This drastic change in practices for […]
A Summary of the IRS Fresh Start Initiative Recently, you may have heard a lot about the Fresh Start Initiative in radio ads, tv advertisements, online and more—like it is some recent change the IRS made. In reality, the IRS officially launched the Fresh Start initiative (FSI) in 2011 in order to help taxpayers get […]
From Accounting Today As IRS budgets and audit staff continue to diminish, audit numbers are at an all-time low. But when you file your clients’ returns, the most common question persists: “How likely am I to be audited?” Taxpayers whose returns stray far away from the norm or have “large, unusual or questionable items” can […]
