A few months ago, the US saw the political theater of Congress outraged at the IRS’s alleged targeting of Tea Party political organizations for scrutiny on whether they qualified for tax-exempt status. It looked like the IRS was politically-biased against conservative causes. Read more »
September 7, 2013
Blog
The “Audit” That Isn’t An Audit
IRS has sent out tens of thousands of letters to small businesses asking them to explain the difference between the businesses’ receipts reported on the tax returns and reported by third parties. Read more >>
August 21, 2013
Asset Protection & Pre-Bankruptcy Planning
A well-to-do friend called me for some planning. He invited me to his beautiful, five-bedroom home in the hills above Westlake Village. We sat at poolside as he described his predicament. Read more >>
June 20, 2013
Arsonist Can Discharge Fire Fighting Costs in Bankruptcy
Living in semi-arid California, I’ve gotten used to seeing large columns of smoke on hot, windy days. Most recently, I could see the Springs Fire burning between Camarillo and Malibu from a distance, Fortunately, it did little damage Read more >>
May 14, 2013
Bankruptcy, Humility & Happiness
I have a bankruptcy client who had been a high-earning executive with an ad agency. But he lost his job, savings and even retirement nest egg in the real estate crash. He now lives in a rental in the Valley Read more >>
April 24, 2013
How I Help Doctors Get Financially Well
It used to be that a medical degree was a ticket to a relatively secure life: in exchange for spending years achieving at school and amassing formidable learning, and just showing up at your practice for 50 or more hours a week Read more >>
April 19, 2013
Bankruptcy Is a Form Of Redemption, Not Failure
I like to say that I am involved in “capitalist recycling.” In a capitalist, free-market society, there are people who win and there are people who lose. Those people who do not win and cannot function economically because of crushing debt Read more >>
March 7, 2013
What Doctors Taught Me About My Job and My Clients
In the last three years, my wife and I have lost three of our four parents: two parents died of lung cancer, one of Parkinson’s Disease. In each case, I was struck by how little end of life guidance the medical community gave us. Read more »
January 21, 2013
Judge Riblet on the Absolute Priority Rule
The Absolute Priority Rule is an arcane part of the Bankruptcy Code (see 11 USC § 1129(b)(2)(B)(ii)). It says that, in a Chapter 11 plan, lower classes of creditors cannot be paid anything unless higher classes have either been paid in full Read more >>
January 18, 2013
Tax Debt Lowered from $513,000 to $30,000!
“Impossible,” you’re probably thinking. But it’s not. Here’s why. Read more »
December 26, 2012










