“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 house a while ago, only to have the IRS come after it recently. Read more >>
July 30, 2019
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 on one of his bank accounts. Read more >>
April 8, 2019
The IRS treats taxpayers who owe more than $100,000 very differently than it does those who owe less than $100,000. If you owe more, the IRS expects immediate payment. It also uses harsh collection measures and makes invasive financial information demands. If you owe less, then you get up to five years to pay what you owe, and the process is relatively easy. Read more >>
October 9, 2018
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
The private collectors are not as well trained as IRS employees, and generally violate taxpayer rights much more often than the federal employees. Read more >>
May 30, 2017
My client’s shaking, horrified. She lied on her tax return and worries the IRS will find out when they open the audit. She thinks she’ll end up in handcuffs if she even talks to the IRS. She won’t. But the IRS will be happy that she is scared. Read more >>
May 26, 2017
Most people don’t know that the IRS stops trying to collect on tax debt after 10 years. This 10-year statute of limitations can be valuable to people who owe back taxes from several years ago. Read more >>
May 13, 2017
Churches and ministers receive many tax breaks: churches do not need to withhold social security taxes from their ministers’ pay; churches receive income tax-free; and ministers do not pay tax on the cash value of church-provided housing. But receiving a tax-free salary is not one of the breaks ministers receive. Read more >>
February 14, 2016
If you own a foreign bank account, you need to report it to the IRS, or else, as the case of poor Mr. Gubser below illustrates. Read more >>
January 14, 2017
When a taxpayer disagrees with the IRS auditor’s determination, the IRS assigns the matter to an appeals officer. This is a second, new IRS employee that the taxpayer can negotiate with. Read more >>
January 12, 2016
