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 as the executor of his estate, so you have to fill out paperwork now that he’s gone. Read more >>
September 27, 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
Americans who work overseas are entitled to exclude $80,000 of annual income from their tax return. It’s called the “foreign earned income exclusion.” Read more >>
January 19, 2018
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
If you are having problems getting the IRS to understand you, please call me. I can probably help you. I say this because I understand how the IRS works, how its agents think, and the logic of taxation. Read more >>
May 3, 2017
Sometimes a taxpayer makes a seemingly minor technical mistake on his return that ends up with large consequences down the line. Shocking, yes, but it’s been known to occur. Read more >>
May 2, 2017
I love what I do. Intervening on behalf of my clients in tax audits, or helping people shed crippling debt, allows me to (1) draw on prior professional experience at the IRS and elsewhere, Read more >>
May 2, 2017
I recently received an email — purportedly from the IRS — claiming I have a refund coming and asking me to follow a link to file my return and process the refund. Read more >>
February 2, 2016
