Tax Crimes

Back on Sept. 26, we warned our readers about a widespread scam involving phony IRS agents. The “agents” call innocent people in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, claiming the victim owes thousands in back income taxes. If the victim does not pay immediately, the caller says, the IRS will seize the victim’s property, arrest the person […]

We have made a point in recent months to highlight issues related to the U.S. government’s deep focus on thwarting suspected tax evasion through the use of foreign accounts. Our efforts have attempted to provide some clarity about the conditions under which taxpayers must submit a Foreign Bank and Financial Account Report (FBAR) as part […]

It may be a common assumption that if someone is under scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service they must be guilty of something. The reality is that most individuals are not conscious committers of tax crimes. Very often, they simply have made errors of omission in filing their returns, either because of an oversight or […]

There are a lot of ways that a person might wind up on the Internal Revenue Service’s version of a watch list. How it happens, though, is perhaps less important than what can happen if no action is taken when it does happen. Action is called for and it’s always best to do it with […]

Although there are many legal strategies that can be used to minimize tax obligations, every year many Washington, D.C., residents are accused of using unlawful methods to get out of paying taxes. Whether the Internal Revenue Service claims that a taxpayer made a mistake or took intentional actions to avoid taxes, the consequences can be […]

The Affordable Care Act has been the target of a lot of negative press. Aside from the general political rhetoric from opponents of the measure, there have been the very obvious issues with the rollout of the online registration process. The latest red flag to be raised comes from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax […]

The Internal Revenue Service is the first to admit that it has a major problem on its hands when it comes to fighting tax fraud. This past summer, the acting head of the IRS said as much to members of Congress. As evidence, the agency touts that it more than tripled the number of criminal […]

Back in the 1990s, the Beanie Baby craze swept the world. By some estimates the popularity of the under-stuffed bean-bag animals represents the epitome of a marketing strategy based on the concept of controlling a fad and thus increasing the value of the product. Beanie Babies creator, Ty Warner, used the strategy to such effect […]

The Internal Revenue Service says tax fraud, tax evasion and tax underpayment costs the federal government about $385 billion a year. With an ocean of red ink that deep it should come as no surprise that federal officials in Washington, D.C., and tax collectors at the state level have begun turning to computer software to […]

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., is pondering suggestions from the prosecution and the defense regarding sentencing in the cases of former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sandra Jackson. Jackson, who is the son of the elder civil rights activist and politician of the same name, had served as a Democratic congressman from […]