What happens when the IRS audits a tax attorney, like me? Most clients don’t know this, but I have personally experienced an IRS audit . So I know all too well the stress that accompanies receiving an Audit Notice from the IRS, and the anxiety of putting together documentation and hoping I get through the audit without owing a lot more in taxes. Here’s why I was audited and how it turned out. Read more »
September 14, 2023
Everything Everywhere All at Once won seven Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards including for Best Picture. The movie begins with the havoc unleashed by IRS Agent Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis won Best Supporting Actress), when she audits the laundromat of Evelyn & Waymond Wang (Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress and Ke Huy Kwan won Best Supporting Actor. But are the audit scenes realistic? Short answer: yes, but mostly no. Here’s how the movie differs from a real-life IRS audit. Read more »
March 13, 2023
As I sit in my Westlake Village tax law office, I’m contemplating the remarkable story that broke this week about the IRS failing to audit former President Trump during the first two years of his Presidency, despite the fact that the agency has routinely audited all other, past Presidents and current President Biden. Read more>>
December 23, 2022
You just received a notice from the IRS that you’re being audited. I’m sorry: it’s a stressful experience. But, now that you’re in it, here are the most important things to keep in mind. Read more>>
September 29, 2022
I was a tax attorney at the IRS for a decade. So you know I’ve been all over the fascinating story that the IRS recently subjected former FBI Directors James Comey and Andrew McCabe to its most invasive NRP audit. Comey and McCabe were famously fired and publicly abused by former President Trump. Suspicious minds now wonder whether IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, a Trump appointee, ordered the audits on these two men as a form of political retribution. Very unlikely. Here’s why. Read more>>
July 11, 2022
Katie Clunen is a terrific family law attorney in Westlake Village. Tax issues often arise when couples divorce, so Katie and I often need to speak. Read more >>
March 5, 2021
That dreaded, fifth season of the year is soon to be upon us: Tax Season. Many Americans are turning their attention to tax returns and as they file, most people wonder “could I get audited this year?” The statistical chances of a tax return getting flagged for an audit are very small, but it still weighs on one’s mind. So, let’s take a look at the filing and audit process a little closer: Read more >>
January 28, 2021
A merchant who buys and sells wines through an LLC that shows up as a Schedule C business on his personal tax return was recently audited. Read more »
October 16, 2020
The U.S. federal and California state governments fund their activities by imposing and collecting taxes on various transactions. Read more »
September 22, 2020
A client ran a landscape maintenance company in LA for 30 years. His crew showed up at clients’ houses to mow, blow, and go. My client called his crew “contractors,” to avoid paying payroll taxes. He also didn’t issue Forms 1099 for them. Uh-oh… Read more >>
August 9, 2018
