Annual payment of taxes can be a stressful and expensive ordeal that many dread. The expense and headache of filing your taxes can be greatly increased if you are unfortunate enough to have penalties assessed against you. If you are late filing your taxes or have underpaid the amount you owe, the IRS will charge you penalties for not fulfilling your tax requirements. These fees are calculated based on a number of Read More
Understanding Pre-trial Release
If you have been arrested and are being held in custody , you may be granted the opportunity by the court to be released pre-trial. There are different types of conditions for which a court may release an individual pre-trial and also differences between release in state court and federal court. Bail is essentially a type of promise by the defendant, represented by a set amount of money, that serves to guarantee the Read More
Everything You Need to Know About the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) was enacted in 1977 as a response to investigations into improper contributions by U.S. companies to foreign governments, their officials, and their politicians. The FCPA makes it illegal for U.S. businesses and individuals and certain foreign entities that issue securities to make payments (to bribe) to foreign government officials in order to obtain business in return.The Read More
Don’t Fight the IRS Alone: The Dangers of Handling an Audit Yourself
Anyone who gets a notice of a pending IRS Audit should not try to handle the audit on his/her own. While it is tempting to just Google how to handle an audit or try to figure it out as you go, there are simply too many dangers to facing an audit without employing an experienced tax lawyer, even if you think you’ve done nothing wrong. Lawyers understand what information must be disclosed and what information is Read More
Payroll Taxes: 6 Common Mistakes Every Company MUST Avoid
When you run a business, there are a lot of responsibilities involved. One of the biggest is correctly handling payroll taxes. As an employer, you have to ensure that unemployment taxes are paid, state and federal income taxes are withheld, and that a host of other payroll obligations are met. Failure to do so can result in serious financial penalties. Here are 6 of the most common payroll tax errors and how to Read More
Florida Criminal Law: Understanding the Concept of Hearsay
In court proceedings, hearsay is a statement made out- of- court coming in for the truth of the matter asserted. In essence, it is a statement elicited of a witness where the witness is repeating what she or he was told by someone else. So a hearsay statement is often prefaced by the courtroom witness testifying, “He told me...” or “She said to me that....” Hearsay, which might include oral testimony and Read More
IRS Wage Levies: The Worst Kind of Garnish
When it comes to eating a fancy dinner, a garnish can be the perfect compliment to an outstanding culinary delight. When it comes to your taxes, however, any type of garnishing is going to be very bad news. That’s because the IRS has the power to garnish your wages in order to satisfy unpaid tax liabilities. In the financial context, a garnishment is a type of levy imposed on your wages in order to satisfy unpaid Read More
Understanding the Concept of Double Jeopardy
Essentially Double Jeopardy is being tried for the same crime or offense more than once. The 5th Amendment to the United States Constitution is commonly referred to as the "Double Jeopardy clause." The 5th Amendment states that "No person . . . shall be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb." However, today one need not face execution or physical injury to his or her body to be Read More
7 Key Differences Between Federal Grand Juries and Trial (Petit) Juries
There is a great deal of confusion surrounding public understanding of federal grand juries and trial juries—also known as a petit jury. Both are comprised of groups of American citizens called to hear evidence and make decisions regarding criminal justice, and both serve vital roles in our justice system, but they are actually quite different. Below we have detailed seven key differences between grand juries and Read More
A Brief Q&A on the Panama Papers
If you’ve been watching the news lately, you have likely heard a great deal of discussion about the so-called “Panama Papers.” However, few people really understand what they are, and what they mean. Today, we wanted to provide a brief Q&A on the Panama Papers to help keep you informed of the details and their implications. If you have any questions about the Panama Papers, or legal offshore reporting Read More