WARNING: The IRS has a vested interest in you not hiring a tax professional. That’s because when you are unrepresented it is easier for them to intimidate you and more likely that their procedural mistakes, over-assessments and violations of your rights will be undetected and unchallenged. I am a tax lawyer and a CPA. Based on my 25 years [...]

Many taxpayers wrongly believe that IRAs and other retirement accounts are protected from IRS seizure because the laws of their state exempt those assets from the reach of creditors. But since Federal law supersedes state law, the IRS is not bound by state exemptions as are other creditors. In short, the IRS can seize any property you own regardless of whether [...]

One of the questions taxpayers with delinquent tax debts ask us most frequently is “can the IRS take my house?” The bad news is that the IRS can indeed take your house. The good news is that it’s not easy for the government to take your house and, therefore, it does so only as a last resort. The IRS will [...]

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson has issued her annual report on the most frequently litigated tax issues: Internal Revenue Code § 7803(c)(2)(B)(ii)(X) requires the National Taxpayer Advocate to identify the ten tax issues most often litigated in the federal courts, classified by the types of taxpayer affected. Through analysis of these issues, the National Taxpayer Advocate [...]

Far too often when an unrepresented taxpayer speaks to an IRS collection agent the agent lies to him by making one or more of the following statements: You must pay the debt or you will be criminally prosecuted If you don’t pay the debt in full within so many days, your assets will be seized It’s a [...]

The IRS will place a lien on your property to secure payment of your tax debt. A Notice of Federal Tax Lien may be legally issued by the IRS only after the following 3 requirements are met: The IRS makes an assessment against the taxpayer; The IRS sends the taxpayer a written Notice and Demand for Payment; and The [...]

SmartMoney.com has a list of 10 things the IRS won’t tell you: Like it or not, you may need help with your taxes You don’t have to be rich to get audited Fear is often our best weapon The AMT is our ATM Just because we billed you doesn’t mean you owe us money If you don’t [...]