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A frequent question is how long one has to keep records for tax purposes. The United States v. Quebe, No. 3:15-cv-294 (S.D. Ohio 2019) case provides the answer for research tax credits. The answer is that you have to keep records that pre-date the formation of your business by twenty years and then you have…
Tax Articles
How to Correct Late Accounting Method Changes
A consistent mistake on a tax return for more than two years may require an accounting method change to correct. The IRS has procedures for making these elections, which generally require a timely filed tax return. But what if you miss the filing deadline–are you out of luck? Private Letter Ruling (“PLR”) 201850013 provides the…
Can Defective Deed Defeat IRS Estate Tax Lien?
The IRS lien is broad and attaches to the taxpayer’s property. Creative tax attorneys have tried to find ways around the lien with limited success. The recent Saccullo v. United States, No. 17-14546 (11th Cir. 2019) case raises the question as to whether a defectively executed deed be used to defeat the IRS’s estate tax…
Can Foreign Government Use U.S. Court to Collect From U.S. Person?
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…
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…
