A newly divorced woman comes to me in shock: in the divorce settlement, her husband accepted all responsibility for the $400,000 in taxes they owed, but the IRS is now threatening to levy on her meager bank accounts. What’s up? Read more>>
Tax Collection Issues
Wall Street Journal Agrees with Me: IRS Needs More $!
Readers of my blog know I frequently berate Congress for having cut the IRS’ budget while dramatically increasing its workload in the past decade. But here’s the politically conservative Wall Street Journal, letting us know how the IRS’s woes are encouraging tax evasion. Read more »
2021 Was Horrible for IRS Responsiveness: 2022 Will Be Worse
The IRS’s 2021 responsiveness has been rightfully panned . Due to budget constraints, Covid work restrictions for IRS employees, and a huge work increase from administering much of the Economic Recovery Read more »
Why IRS Doesn’t Negotiate Payroll Tax Debt – EVER
Business owners with payroll tax debt often ask me why the IRS won’t lift its levy or lien. After all, these clients argue, I just need a bit of free cash to invest back into my business, to make the money to pay what I owe. If the IRS cripples my business with liens or levies, then I can’t make the money to repay them. So, why doesn’t the IRS act more like my business partner, let me continue to operate, and make the money to pay them back Read more »
Hard Truths for Debtors Who Procrastinate
Since the fall, I have seen a big uptick in desperate people calling me for tax or bankruptcy help. What kind of desperation? These people have been either on the IRS’s radar, or been having debt problems, for many years and then the crisis hits: the IRS puts a lien on a house, or a creditor gets a default judgment and the sheriff Read more »
IRS’ Right to Take Your Passport
Congress granted the IRS the power to revoke passports in December 2015. Under this law, if you owe more than $51,000 to the IRS, then you could lose your passport. This program does not inspire confidence: here Read more »
The IRS Can (Almost) NEVER Waive Interest on Late Taxes
A business-owner client recently claimed an R&D tax credit available to him. The IRS denied his use of the credit, he hired me, we went to Tax Court and ultimately Read more »
Tales From the Tax Troll Trenches: IRS Says Don’t Use US Mail
As readers of my Newsletter and Blog know, dealing with the IRS daily means I uncover unreasonable policies and bizarre agents at the IRS on a regular basis (and don’t Read more »
Installment Agreement for Tax Debt: Much Harder To Set Up with California’s FTB than the IRS
My website outlines the many ways in which the California tax agencies (Franchise Tax Board, CA Department of Tax & Fee Administration, Employment Development Division) are FAR harder to deal with, and aggressive Read more »
Problems with the IRS? Who are you gonna call?
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. In this short Vlog, Read more »