Tax evasion is a serious federal crime. Individual taxpayers convicted of tax evasion can face up to a $100,000 fine and five years of federal imprisonment, while corporate entities can be fined up to $500,000. This raises an important question: What does it mean to “attempt to evade or defeat […]
Just like taxpayers, tax preparers have an obligation to comply with the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). Several provisions in the IRC speak specifically to the tax preparer’s role in preparing and submitting fraudulent returns—and tax preparers can face both civil and criminal penalties for aiding and abetting federal tax law […]
The IRS’s Voluntary Disclosure Practice (VDP) and its Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures both provide ways for high-income and high-net-worth taxpayers to proactively resolve issues related to the disclosure (or non-disclosure) of their offshore assets. But, the VPD and Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures are very different—each being subject to its own […]
The Voluntary Disclosure Practice (VDP) provides an avenue for high-income and high-net-worth taxpayers to resolve significant federal tax controversies without facing criminal prosecution. Administered by IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), the VDP is a long-standing program that allows eligible taxpayers to mitigate their exposure and settle with the IRS—provided that […]
When seeking to close the tax gap through enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn’t solely target taxpayers who have underreported and underpaid their federal tax liability. It also targets those who facilitate tax evasion and tax fraud. Accountants, advisors and promoters can all face heavy-handed enforcement; and, when targeted […]
The Internal Revenue Code requires U.S. taxpayers to disclose certain transactions resulting in significant losses. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classifies these as “reportable transactions” due to their potential to serve as abusive tax shelters; and, as the IRS makes clear, “[e]ach taxpayer that has participated in a reportable transaction […]
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) routinely targets high-income and high-net-worth taxpayers suspected of using abusive tax shelters to evade federal tax liability. Abusive tax shelters fall into several categories, the broadest of which are the IRS’ “Listed Transactions.” As federal tax audits and investigations targeting Listed transactions can present substantial […]
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is continuing to target Employee Retention Credit (ERC) fraud in 2024. While the ERC was originally intended as a pandemic-era relief program, limited oversight allowed a substantial volume of fraudulent claims, and promoter schemes led many business owners to unknowingly claim credits for which their […]
High-income and high-net-worth taxpayers who have assets offshore must report these assets to the U.S. government annually. For most, this means filing both IRS Form 8938 to comply with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) to comply with the […]
While the national public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic may have ended in 2023, combating COVID-related fraud remains a top federal law enforcement priority in 2024. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is one of several agencies involved in the government’s ongoing response, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) […]