I am always so pleased when I am able to secure a positive result for a client!
The Washington Post recently enumerated the numerous political problems facing Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative (Department of Governmental Efficiency) like how it is grappling with bad public relations and is trying have its work seen as a win for the average citizen rather than as a callous and undisciplined attack on the country’s federal agencies. Read more » Almost everyone calls me in a panic after receiving a collections notice from the IRS threatening to levy on their bank account, attach their wages, or put a lien on their house. They all think it will happen immediately: “Please call me back ASAP because the IRS gave me a deadline of tomorrow/next week/10 days!!” Um, no. Chances are, you’ve got many months, if not years, until the IRS pursues aggressive collections action. Read more » A buddy recently received a scam voicemail from a company promises to get rid of all his tax debt. Here are the red flags that IDed this voicemail as a scam and how to avoid them. Read more » I recently wrote about Elon Musk’s DOGE’s attempt to access the IRS’ main database of all taxpayer information. Since then many colleagues and clients have asked what I think about this, especially as a former IRS attorney and now a tax attorney who needs to access the IRS’ IDRS database almost daily. Herewith, more on what I REALLY think…. Read more>> Musk’s DOGE team wants access to the IRS database of all taxpayer records. Why? The purported purpose of DOGE is to root out bureaucratic inefficiency in the federal government. But will DOGE access to extremely sensitive and personal financial information on every taxpayer in the country eliminate government waste? Or, perhaps, is granting DOGE access to taxpayer records a way for the current administration to gain information on political enemies? Read more>> What happens to cars in bankruptcy? Or cars with notes? After all, almost everyone filing bankruptcy has a car. And cars are usually one of the larger assets a debtor owns. The answer depends on what a car is worth, whether it’s been paid off, and whether the car lender requires a Reaffirmation Agreement. Read more » It’s election season, so Congress is on my mind. Occasionally, I have called on my client’s Representative to get what I need from the IRS. And every time, the IRS has responded to the congressmember immediately, whereas I was often ignored for months. Why and when does this work? Read more » Both the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the California’s Franchise Tax Board (FTB) have Statute of Limitations on tax collections. The Statute of Limitations refers to the period of time during which the IRS and FTB can legally collect taxes, penalties, and interest from a taxpayer. Once the Statute of Limitations clock runs out, then what remains owing on the tax debt is erased. For federal taxes, the IRS’ clock on legal ability to collect taxes is 10 years. For California state taxes, the FTB’s clock is 30 years. But, there are things that stop the clock, thus extending the time the tax agency has to collect the tax liability. Read more » “I thought I discharged my back taxes in bankruptcy! But the IRS just took this year’s tax refund and applied it to a year that was discharged!” is something I hear all the time. Yes, the IRS can do this, and here’s why. The good news? You’ll get that refund back next year. Read more »Trump and DOGE Attack on the IRS
March 25, 2025How Threatening is the IRS Collections Notice I Just Received?
March 14, 2025How to Spot a Scam “Tax Debt Forgiveness” Call
February 28, 2025DOGE Access to IRS Data Will Harm Confidentiality and Compliance
February 24, 2025DOGE Wants Access to IRS Taxpayer Records
February 17, 2025Car Lenders and Customers Who File Bankruptcy
November 20, 2024When Can Your Congressmember Help with the IRS?
November 7, 2024Tax Collection Statute of Limitations
September 20, 2024Can the IRS Take Tax Refunds For Taxes Discharged in Bankruptcy?
September 12, 2024
Great Review from Ventura County
