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Tax Articles
Notes from our active practice — IRS audits, appeals, Tax Court litigation, and state and local tax matters. Summaries here link out to the full posts on our regional practice sites.
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Does the IRS Have the Burden to Prove Constructive Dividends?
When a C corporation pays expenses for its shareholder, the payment can be subject to income tax for the shareholder as a constructive dividend. One defense is that the expenses for the C corporation were legitimate. Does the taxpayer have…
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Is a Taxpayer Liable for Interest if the IRS Delays an Audit?
Can the IRS fail to audit a taxpayer for several years and then, once it actually opens the audit, drag its feet for years and then charge the taxpayer interest retroactively back to the date the tax return was filed?…
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IRS Tax Debts from Retirement Account Distributions
Retirement account distributions typically trigger sizable tax liabilities. These liabilities often go unpaid, which results in unpaid tax debts and IRS collection enforcement actions. With careful planning, sometimes these taxes can be avoided. Tax on Retirement Account Distributions Most distributions from retirement accounts trigger income taxes. This includes distributions from IRAs and 401(k)s. The idea…
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Reasonable Cause: Proving Reliance on a Tax Advisor
If you hire a competent tax advisor and end up having a late filed return, you may be able to avoid penalties for the late filing. But this is a defense. It is something that you, the taxpayer, have to…
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Is Reliance on a CPA Sufficient for a Late Filed Tax Form?
The IRS often turns a deaf ear to taxpayers who miss a filing deadline due to some action or inaction by their CPA or tax preparer. This is the case for late filing tax penalties. But what about a late…
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Taxpayer Cannot Recoup Attorney Travel Costs
If the IRS wrongfully denies your refund claim and you are successful in litigating the matter in court, you are entitled to recoup some of your court costs. But what about the taxpayer’s tax attorney’s travel costs? And what if…
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Cashing a Tax Refund Check for a False Return is a Crime
Cashing a tax refund check that was triggered by filing a false tax return is a crime. It is theft of government money. Theft of government money is different than tax evasion. The recent United States v. Box, No. 18-13935…
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CPA Penalized for Knowledge of Understatement
Sec. 6701 imposes a penalty for assisting another person in understating their tax liability. The Sec. 6701 penalty is not subject to a statute of limitations. The IRS can assess these penalties at any time, even years and decades after…
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Reporting Debt Discharged in a Court Settlement to the IRS
There are some circumstances where information has to be reported to the IRS, even though the information does not trigger a tax. But the potential problem can be that the information reporting triggers an IRS audit or other consequences. The…
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Can the IRS Take My 401(k) Plan Account?
Can the IRS take my 401(k) plan account for unpaid taxes? Does it have to wait until I take distributions from the 401(k) plan account? The IRS recently asked its tax attorneys this question in CCA 201927019. About 401(k) Plan Accounts The 401(k) plan account is the most popular method for saving for retirement. They…
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