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

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

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

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

No one enjoys handing over hard-earned income to the IRS in the form of taxes. However, failing to pay your tax liability has the potential to result in much worse than penalties and interest. We have previously discussed the potential for criminal tax penalties, which you can read about by clicking here, but what we are now referring to is the IRS’s power to seize assets. The IRS has incredibly broad and Read More

What happens when you receive an eye-popping bill from the IRS which you know you will be unable to pay? There are a number of different programs and options which taxpayers can leverage to find some degree of relief, and the IRS Installment Agreement is one of the most commonly utilized. An Installment Agreement allows a taxpayer to pay off their tax debt in monthly increments over a specific period of time, rather Read More

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