Not only does the IRS have the power to impose serious civil penalties, charge interest, and seize assets as a consequence of tax issues, there is also a whole section of the Internal Revenue Code that deals with criminal tax issues. While it is statistically rare,  you could face criminal charges including fines and even jail time for tax fraud. The IRS and other federal agencies may conduct criminal investigations Read More

Unpaid taxes can create a nightmare scenario when one’s tax liability spirals out of control. It can ruin your finances, both personal and business related, and it is astonishing how quickly a small amount of unpaid taxes can snowball into crushing debt. Fortunately, when you are no longer able to afford your tax obligations, the IRS does offer potential options to help you reach a settlement, at least when they Read More

If you’ve ever watched a crime show on TV or a movie about organized crime, then you’ve probably at least heard of the term “money laundering.” For the unfamiliar, the term may elicit thoughts of bringing one’s cash to a laundromat to have it cleaned. Though this may sound comical, it is not all that far from the truth if you don’t think about it in the literal sense. Money laundering is a criminal enterprise whereby Read More

If you are ever convicted of a crime, the actual punishment you receive, including fines, prison time, probation, and more, could be the least of your worries. Our society punishes criminals long after they have served their time and paid for their mistakes. A criminal blemish on your record will often stigmatize you in the eyes of employers, banks, insurance companies, and more. It may prevent you from getting a Read More

The US Internal Revenue Code is notoriously complex and difficult for just about anyone who does not fall under the category of “tax expert.” Mistakes are frequent, and the fear factor for the common taxpayer with regard to the IRS is through the roof. But if you make a mistake on your income tax returns, do you really need to be worried? Is the IRS going to come bursting through your door, ready to arrest you for Read More

When an IRS examiner is conducting a tax investigation, he or she has the power to issue an administrative summons to a summonee—generally either the taxpayer who is the subject of the investigation or another third party involved in the case. A summons is a tool meant to be used by IRS examiners to compel the summonee to turn over information they need for their investigation when they cannot otherwise obtain the Read More

If on any one day in a calendar year you have foreign financial accounts which have a balance in excess of $10,000 or more in aggregate, you are required by law to report those accounts annually to the IRS and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen) through the filing of the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). Neglecting to do so can result in severe and expensive civil penalties, and Read More

Being unable to pay your federal tax bill can have major implications for your finances, your credit score, and your ability to live the life you want to live. Penalties and interest on unpaid taxes will begin to pile up and create a snowball effect that will eventually bankrupt you. Some people are faced with an inability to pay their taxes because something unexpected happened, like being laid off or injured in an Read More

If you are ever subpoenaed to appear in a federal grand jury investigation, it will likely either be as a witness, a subject (person of interest), or a target, but many people do not realize that there is a fine line between these three statuses. Even if you think you are just a witness, you have to be very careful in how you approach your involvement in a grand jury proceeding. A federal grand jury works differently Read More

Many people believe that an audit means they are in trouble. The US tax system is complicated and no matter how confident you are that your taxes are accurate and your finances are in line, an audit notice from the IRS might still make you break out in a cold sweat. You may think, “What did I do wrong? Why are they coming after me?” However, many taxpayers are selected for audit by random computer screening, and Read More