Recently, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations unit released a yearly report showing that the number of prosecutions increased in fiscal year 2012. The increase in criminal tax investigations was noteworthy in part, because the number of people employed in the unit has decreased. In fiscal year 2012, which ended […]
Category: Important Trends at IRS
Many small business owners may feel that they are in the cross hairs of the Internal Revenue Service. Since last fall, the agency has sent out 20,000 letters to small businesses seeking more information related to “possible income under-reporting” of their business receipts. A 2008 change in the law allowed […]
The tax code is incredibly complicated and intricate. Even when a business or an individual intends to be in compliance with tax requirements, cost-saving measures can easily slip over the line into illegal territory. As the new year approaches, many tax experts are reporting an increase in tax audits. Come […]
Many sub contractors in the construction fields rely on a network of friends and acquaintances when work starts to roll in during the busy season. Asking a cousin to help on one project and paying in cash may seem easier than cutting a check or determining whether he might qualify […]
Texans with international business and financial interests may be familiar with a federal law called the Foreign Accounting Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA. Following its initial adoption in 2010, the statute recently completed a four-year ramp-up period and is now in full effect. FATCA background information American tax law requires […]
A new publication from the IRS aims to inform taxpayers of their basic rights when dealing with their taxes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released a revised Taxpayer Bill of Rights. The document is posted on the agency’s website and was sent to homes across the country in thousands […]
Taxes are just one of many factors that can make it difficult for smaller businesses in Texas to compete and get a leg up in a marketplace that is increasingly dominated by large companies. At a pair of congressional hearings on July 22, 2015, federal lawmakers heard testimony about the […]
A new law signed recently by President Obama will change the filing deadline for reporting foreign financial assets, bringing it into alignment with the standard April 15 deadline for filing income tax returns. The change will take effect starting with the 2016 tax year. Who has to file an FBAR? […]
On behalf of Lawrence Brown A specialized unit conducts extensive examination of people and entities at the highest levels of wealth. According to Investment News in September 2017, the IRS budget has decreased by almost one-fifth since 2010 (adjusted for inflation) and its workforce by almost 15 percent. Still, the […]
On behalf of Lawrence Brown The IRS is serious about taxing actual increases in value or income realized through transactions, employment and investment involving virtual currencies. The IRS treats Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrencies like real currency when used and valued in ways equivalent to traditional money. For example, if a […]