I recently received a phone call from a former client with a big problem. We had negotiated an Offer in Compromise for this client in 2012, saving her business a few hundred thousand dollars. One of the conditions when the IRS accepts an Offer in Compromise is that the taxpayer must not accrue any new …
Why You Can’t “Set It and Forget It” With A Payroll Service Read More »
Benjamin Franklin once said that nothing is certain in this life but death and taxes. I’ll agree that none of us will cheat death. But I may quibble with Mr. Franklin on the issue of whether or not you have to pay all of your taxes. Under the right set of circumstances, full payment of …
Can I Resolve Back Taxes By Qualifying For Currently Not Collectible Status? Read More »
Laws often appear to be very black or white. But, real life can feel more like one big gray area. As a governmental entity, the IRS is required to treat all taxpayers equally. With regard to evaluating Offers in Compromise (tax settlements), this means that the IRS has set standards for how they review the …
Can I Settle My Tax Liability Even Though I Have Enough Income? Read More »
To some business owners, the accounting part of their business is the last thing they want to deal with. “Leave that to the accountant or bookkeeper and let me get to work” is the sentiment I get from a lot of small business owners. Accrual Method of Accounting Many business owners just don’t have the …
Cash And Acurral Methods Of Accounting Can Impact The Outcome Of A Tax Collection Case Read More »
Earlier this year, I received a voice message from a producer for a television show called Moving America Forward, hosted by William Shatner. The message stated that they were interested in speaking with me about possibly appearing on their nationally broadcasted television show. Moving America Forward Interviews Fortress Financial Services I was intrigued to say …
When the Internal Revenue Service created the Offer in Compromise program, the candidates they probably had in mind were those people who were struggling to keep the lights on, feed and clothe themselves and their children, and keep a roof over their heads. The ideal candidate, they most likely surmised, is not a for-profit business. …
Can My Business Settle IRS With Business Offer in Compromise? Read More »
As soon as the IRS files a Federal Tax Lien against a delinquent taxpayer, it becomes public record that the person or business has a balance due to the IRS. The lien is filed very soon after a liability is assessed. The fact that the lien is public record means that anybody who cares to …
I am Told I Qualify for an Offer in Compromise—Is it a Scam? Read More »
You invested your entire savings and better part of your working life into your business in an attempt to have it succeed and ultimately grow. During this time many unforeseen obstacles occurred that caused you to have to make difficult decisions, one of which was to forego making a tax deposit in order to remit …
Understanding IRS Successor, Alter Ego , Nominee, And Transferee Liability Read More »
Each year, the IRS publishes its “Dirty Dozen” tax scams, which is essentially a list of the biggest, most widespread tax-related scams. Typically, the lion’s share of the “Dirty Dozen” consists of schemes perpetrated by individuals and businesses trying to scam the IRS by way of abusive tax shelters, hiding money offshore, padding deductions on …
How To Defend Yourself Against The Dirty Dozen Tax Scams Read More »
The Internal Revenue Service is one of the largest government agencies in the world. With around 90,000 employees and a budget in the billions, it’s truly an empire within our government, and its rules and regulations are not wholly known by any one single human being. Therefore, as you can imagine, it’s possible that the …
On December 4th, 2015 President Barack Obama signed into law the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act” to improve the Nation’s surface transportation infrastructure. Also referred to as the FAST Act, the legislation included a provision which requires the Internal Revenue Service to outsource certain tax debts to private debt collection agencies. The idea behind the …
Congress Instructs IRS To Outsource Collections To Private Companies Read More »
Caller: Hello, Ms. Smith? Taxpayer: Yes? Caller: This is Michael Jones with the IRS, badge # 01324847. Is this the Ms. Smith that resides at 232 West Baker Street? Taxpayer: I, uh…. Caller: I have a warrant for your arrest for back taxes owed from 2008 through 2012 for “theft by deception.” The total owing …
Beware of IRS Telephone Scam With Threat of Arrest or Jail Read More »
IRS Tax Professional for a Taxpayer in Collections There are three types of professionals who are legally authorized to represent a taxpayer in collections: C.P.A.s, enrolled agents, and tax attorneys. The key is to find both the type of IRS tax professional and the right person within that type that will be best suited to …
How to Choose an IRS Tax Professional for Back Taxes Read More »
In order to be eligible to resolve an outstanding federal tax liability on a voluntary basis (e.g. Installment Agreement, Offer in Compromise), as opposed to having it forcefully resolved through collection action such as levies, garnishments, and the seizure of assets, the IRS has two basic requirements. The first requirement is that you are in …
Recently I was engaged in a heated discussion with an IRS Settlement Officer. The subject was an Offer in Compromise (Tax Settlement) I had filed on a client’s behalf. The IRS did not want to approve our Offer because they noticed that my client had been late with a few tax payments during the time …
You’ve been overpaying your taxes all year long, saving money in your IRS ‘refund account’ with the expectation that you will get that big fat juicy refund early next year. You get some software and prepare your own return or hire a tax preparer exclaiming big money is waiting for you. That vacation is just …
Identity Theft and the IRS – Beware of Identity Thieves Stealing “Your” Tax Refund Read More »
One of the most frustrating situations my clients confront is the IRS’s addition of large amounts of tax or Civil Penalties to tax periods that ended a long time ago. There can be several reasons for additions to tax or Civil Penalties, but the most common ones I encounter are reporting and reconciliation deficiencies across …
If the IRS is pursuing collection action against you for an income tax liability for which you believe you are not responsible because the liability was derived from a spouse (or former spouse), you may be correct and have legal grounds to dispute the liability. The IRS has a specific provision called innocent spouse relief …
Innocent Spouse Relief Can Relieve Your Spouse of a Joint IRS Liability Read More »
If you or your business have gotten behind with the IRS, a tax settlement, also known as an Offer in Compromise (OIC), might be the best way to get rid of your tax liability—if you qualify. There are three general categories of OICs: Doubt as to Liability (I don’t actually owe this tax), Effective Tax …
Get a Tax Pro to Settle Your IRS Tax Liability (OIC) Offer in Compromise Read More »
If you are a shareholder in an S Corporation and you also work for that S Corporation, it is critical that that you pay yourself a reasonable wage. Many S Corporation owners take little or no compensation in the form of wages and, instead, disproportionately pay themselves in the form of distributions. This can lead …
Exploring the Consequences of Paying S Corporation Shareholders Unreasonably Low Wages Read More »
