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If a U.S. person commits tax fraud under the laws of a foreign county, can the foreign country’s tax collector use the U.S. court system to collect from the U.S. person? The court recently addressed this in In re SKAT Tax Refund Scheme Litigation, No. 18-md-2865 (LAK) (S.D.N.Y. 2019). Facts & Procedural History The plaintiff…
Category: Houston
Retaining Rights With a Charitable Conservation Easement
Conservation easements can result in significant charitable deductions for real estate owners and investors. But can an owner or investor retain rights to the property and still get the charitable deduction. The courts continue to define when this is possible. The Pine Mountain Preserve LLLP v. Commissioner, 151 T.C. 14, case is the latest case…
Statements Made to IRS Special Agents
If you are contacted by an IRS special agent for an informal meeting, can statements made during the meeting be used against you in court? The answer is “maybe.” The court addresses this in United States v. Henry, No. 2017-0001 (D. VI 2018). Facts & Procedural History The IRS criminal investigation unit received a tip…
Appropriate a Book of Business, Capital or Ordinary Gain?
If an investment advisor is terminated by the bank he works for and the bank keeps the advisors book of business, is the bank compensating the investment advisor for the sale of his book of business or is it paying compensation for services? One would seem to produce capital gain and the other ordinary gain.…
IRS Appeals Guidance on In-Person Conferences
The IRS Office of Appeals has been making changes to how it conducts appeals conferences. In this past few years, these changes have made it difficult to obtain an in-person conference. The IRS recently issued interim guidance AP-08-1118-0013 to authorize appeals to allow for more in-person conferences. About the IRS Office of Appeals The IRS…
IRS Can Use Probate Process to Extend Collection Period
When a loved one dies, the person who serves as the personal representative is tasked with wrapping up the decedent’s affairs and paying known creditors. But what if one of the creditors is the IRS? Can the probate process extinguish unpaid IRS taxes? The recent United States v. Chicorel, No. 17-2321 (6th Cir. 2018) provides an…Continue…
IRS Installment Agreement Calculation Counts Spendthrift Trust Distributions
The IRS generally cannot reach funds in a spendthrift trust to satisfy the trust beneficiary’s unpaid tax debts. But can the IRS factor in trust distributions in calculating the how much the taxpayer can pay under an installment agreement? The recent Melasky v. Commissioner, 151 TC 9 (2018), suggests that the IRS can do this…Continue…
IRS Can Collect from Property Purchased in Corporation
Can a taxpayer put property beyond the IRS’s reach by purchasing the property in the name of a corporation or a third party? The answer is typically “no.” The recent Arlin Geophysical Co. v. United States, No. 2:08-cv-00414-DN-EJF (C.D. Utah 2018) provides an example. Facts & Procedural History The court case involves an individual who…Continue…
Family Member’s Mortgage Filing May Trump IRS Lien
If a child owes unpaid taxes to the IRS, can the parent file a lien against the child’s property to prevent the IRS from levying on the property? The court considered this in United States v. Allahyari, No. C17-668 TSZ (W.D. Wash. 2018). The Facts & Procedural History Upon graduating from law school in the early…Continue…
IRS Audits for Car & Truck Expenses, What You Need to Know
There are a number of issues that the IRS frequently examines on audit. Car and truck expenses are high on that list. The applicable rules and court cases must be reviewed before presenting records to the IRS to substantiate car and truck expenses. This article examines several of these rules and court cases. Deductible Car &…Continue…