1. The Right to Be Informed  Taxpayers have the right to know what they need to do to comply with the tax laws. They are entitled to clear explanations of the laws and IRS procedures in all tax forms, instructions, publications, notices, and correspondence. They have the right to be informed of IRS decisions about […]

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 […]

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 […]

How one man used the ‘innocent spouse’ rule to win some relief in Tax Court From the Wall Street Journal Rick Jacobsen’s wife embezzled nearly $500,000. After her conviction, the Internal Revenue Service asked him to pay more than $100,000 of taxes due on her theft. Yes, embezzled funds are taxable, and Mr. Jacobsen and […]

 “Settle Your Back Taxes for a Fraction of What You Owe – Tax Evaluation Waiting! Stop IRS Collections Now.” –Google search ad results, September 2018 What’s true is that the IRS has a program that allows taxpayers to settle their tax debts for less than the amount they owe. The formal name for this tax […]

Warwick, R.I.: Preparer Raymond Petrarca has pleaded guilty to 44 counts of filing fraudulent returns for clients. According to documents and information provided to the court, Petrarca owned and operated the tax prep business Stratus Financial Group. He admitted to falsifying 44 returns prepared for clients between tax years 2010 and 2015, seeking undeserved federal refunds. […]

Now that tax season is over, audit season has arrived. Based on statistics released in the 2017 IRS Data Book, the audit rate for individual tax returns is the lowest it’s been since 2002. It’s currently 0.6 percent, or about one in every 160 returns. That rate amounted to 934,000 audited returns in 2017. But there […]

Your client wants to sell or buy valuable property, and you have patiently answered questions and jumped through all the hoops, but you know that if the seller cannot convey clear title after the contract is signed, all inspections completed and conditions met, there will be no deal.  You get the title commitment and realize […]