The federal tax code is very complicated. Even people who have been filing their taxes themselves for years likely are not experts. If the IRS ever accuses them of breaking the law, there is a good chance the taxpayer will not even understand what they are accused of doing, let alone be able to mount […]

A claim by the IRS that you owe it back taxes puts more than your bank account at risk. The agency may also take your home or other property through what is known as a “tax lien.” As readers may know, a lien is a legal claim against another party’s property. A federal tax lien […]

A 42-year-old Connecticut woman pleaded guilty to tax evasion this week. Over the past six years, she had failed to pay income tax on more than half a million dollars. No, she did not forget to file her taxes, nor did she make a simple mathematical error on her federal tax returns. According to the […]

We recently discussed how the IRS is dealing with strict budget cuts. Our blog post on the subject mentioned that the agency is reducing its workforce and expects to perform thousands fewer audits this year than in 2014. Besides having to tighten its belt, the IRS is also dealing with an old-fashioned computer system that […]

A taxpayer may feel powerless against the mighty IRS, but an individual or business who feels they are being overcharged on an income tax adjustment has the option to appeal. Even the place they file the appeal is not predetermined. Besides tax court, appeals can be handled by the local IRS appeals office. It is […]

In the law, most things can be negotiated. This applies to criminal law as well as civil lawsuits. It also applies to many tax controversies involving the IRS. Taxpayers dealing with an audit may have an option to settle the matter through a process called an offer in compromise. As the name implies, an offer […]

Budget cuts have hit the IRS, and the agency expects to perform 46,000 fewer audits this year, according to Commissioner John Koskinen. Reduced staff is one way the agency is dealing with $346 million in cuts made by Congress last year. Congress approved a $10.9 billion budget, about $346 million less than the previous year’s […]

A business owner must make decisions that improve the bottom line as much as possible. One of these decisions is in the way he or she hires people. Whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor has many legal implications, not the least of which is what taxes you must pay on their […]

It is 2015, which means that the deadline to file your federal income tax return in about three and a half months away. Some people may plan on filing soon, to get it out of the way early. Nobody should pay more in taxes than they actually owe. One way to reduce your tax bill […]

Though former baseball star Darryl Strawberry has not played in the Major Leagues since 1999, he is still being paid for his services. That will come to an end when the IRS auctions off the annuity he receives from the New York Mets to help pay off a tax debt. Strawberry was a star outfielder […]