IRS Law Blog

Bankruptcy is a powerful tool in solving IRS problems – but can it stop the IRS from auditing you? A centerpiece of bankruptcy law is the concept of an “automatic stay.”    The automatic stay stops creditors...

IRS levies on those who are self-employed are serious, but it may not always be as bad as it seems. If you are self-employed, and if your right to a payment is dependent on the...

ACS can be intimidating – big, impersonal and far away on a 1-800 number. Most IRS collection letters are sent from an Automated Collection Service Center (ACS).  ACS handles the incoming calls from the collection notices....

Pennies on the dollar!  Act now before its too late! The laws may change! During first consultations, my clients often have questions about advertisements they have seen on television or heard on the radio about the...

Everyday, I see how the IRS is responding to people hurt by the economy. The Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure asked me to write an article about it  – “IRS Collections in Troubled Times.” Current...

Can you prove expenses in an IRS audit without receipts and checks? Thanks to the tax case of Cohan v. Commissioner,39 F. 2d 540 (2d Cir. 1930), the IRS will allow expenses even if receipts and checks are...

“I know I filed it, but the IRS tells me they never received it.” Tax returns – lost.  Collection appeals – misplaced.  Innocent spouse claims – never processed. The reality is that the IRS does...

I will be on a panel seminar in Cincinnati on November 6 to address taxes and bankruptcy. My co-panelists include Bankruptcy Judge Jeffrey Hopkins and Bankruptcy Trustees Henry Menninger and Tom Geygan. In addtion to...

What to expect from the IRS collection division in 2010: 1.     More aggressive IRS tax lien filing practices. IRS Revenue Officers have been instructed to make decisions on the filing of Federal tax liens...

It can be tempting to use payroll tax withholdings as a source of operating capital for your business, especially in troubled times.  But this is dangerous – the IRS can penalize anyone in your business who took part...

The IRS is generally known to be prompt in processing offers in compromise. But the IRS is also known for losing files and not processing claims. Sometimes, things get washed into the big bureacracy. So,...

A funny thing happened to me on the way to my mailbox today. There was a letter from the IRS.  Sure, I get plenty of IRS mail everyday – I am an IRS defense attorney....

I do alot of IRS and bankruptcy work for my clients, and receive many questions about  it works.  Bankruptcy is a valuable tool to eliminate IRS liabilities. To help in understanding taxes and bankruptcy, I thought...

It is common to feel like you are not getting a fair shake from an IRS auditor.   Frustration mounts with perceptions that the auditor is unreasonable.  No matter what you do, the auditor cannot...

If you find yourself in an IRS pickle, there are three IRS employees you are most likely to come face to face with.  Those are Revenue Officers, Revenue Agents and Special Agents.  Here is what...

IRS tax liens are not forever.  They do expire – here is an overview of when: For starters, the IRS has 10 years to pursue you for the unpaid taxes that caused the lien to...

I received a call from a Wall Street Journal reporter on a story he was writing on an IRS announcement that they might use mortgage interest payments to identify non-filers. It goes like this:  You...