Deducting Travel Expenses for Travel Away from Home

Contractors and business owners are able to deduct travel costs for travel away from home. This typically includes mileage and lodging costs. The amount of these expenses can be substantial. The IRS frequently audits and adjusts these expenses. Even with perfect records, the expenses may not be allowable depending on where the taxpayer’s “tax home”……

Does an Author Pay Self-Employment Tax on Royalties?

Taxpayers are free to structure payments for services rather than for something other than services. This can save self-employment taxes. But can a taxpayer carve out part of their service income by asserting that some part of the income is not from a business? The Slaughter v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2019-65, case addresses this in…

Is an IRS Audit Report an Informal Claim for Refund?

Amended returns generally have to be filed to recoup overpayments of tax. What counts as a refund claim is open to interpretation, as the courts have allowed a myriad of written documents to qualify. But what about the IRS report itself? If it includes a taxpayer favorable adjustment, is the report itself an informal refund…

IRS Summons and the Attorney-Client Privilege

The attorney-client privilege protects communications with a tax attorney from disclosure to third parties, such as the IRS. If the IRS discovers that a tax attorney advised a client on a transaction that wasn’t structured properly, should the IRS be able to use its power to issue an administrative summons to require the attorney produce…

Getting the IRS to Pay Your Attorney’s Fees

The IRS is required to pay a taxpayers attorney’s fees for defending unsupportable positions. This can even include attorney’s fees when the matter is settled administratively before court. But the IRS is not required to pay attorney’s fees if the IRS’s position is substantially justified. The Bontranger v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2019-45, helps clarify how…Continue…

Tax Litigation When the Administrative Process Failed

There are cases where the administrative process does not reach the right conclusion. There are also cases where the administrative process isn’t available or fully completed. This can happen with tax disputes handled by the IRS. When it does, does this mean that the taxpayer cannot litigate the tax dispute? The record rule comes into…

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