Everything the IRS knows about you exists on a piece of paper called the Account Transcript. I get a client’s transcript when I begin representing them because I need to know what the IRS knows about Read more >>
Tax Collection Issues
Estate Valuation & the IRS
What if a family member dies and you’re the executor of their estate? In a previous blog post, I addressed how to handle all the paperwork . Today, I talk about how to value Read more »
Things to Dislike About California’s EDD: No One Agent Is In Charge
California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) collects and administers California’s State payroll taxes (consisting of the state income, disability, employment training Read more >>
Things To Dislike About California’s EDD: Brutal Collection Efforts
Many of my clients know that California’s Employment Development Department has a well-earned reputation for being a hard-nosed tax agency , much worse than the IRS. This agency collects California’s State payroll taxes Read more »
Taxes on Inheritances
Bad news: your uncle dies. Good news: he left you money and a house. You’re also a beneficiary on a life insurance policy he had. Bad news: he named you Read more »
When Is An Offer In Compromise Advisable?
I don’t like offers in compromise as a way to get rid of tax debt. The process is cumbersome, expensive, and arbitrary. There are better ways to deal with tax Read more »
California FTB’s over-reaching definition of “doing business in California”
If it even brushes against California, the state government wants to tax it… Income earned from CA-based clients by Out-of-State Residents One of my clients is a lawyer but he moved Read more »
Tax Liens versus Levies
What’s a tax lien? A tax levy? The short answer: it’s how the IRS forces non-taxpayers to become taxpayers. What’s the difference between them? Liens Explained Ten days after sending Read more »
Asset Protection Gone Horribly Wrong
“Asset Protection” means taking steps to keep people who are suing you for money owed, from taking your money or house. I had a house-flipper client who successfully protected a Read more »
How To Respond To An IRS Notice
A recent client walked in with 15 unopened envelopes from the IRS. Even though he’d been collecting the notices for a year, he only sought help when the IRS levied Read more »