Facing scrutiny from IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) is a serious matter. As its name suggests, IRS CI is tasked with uncovering—and assisting in the prosecution of—criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). But, IRS CI’s investigative authority also extends far beyond the IRC, and it routinely announces investigations […]
Category: Tax Evasion
The U.S. tax code is among this country’s most complicated and dense bodies of law. And every year, individuals must file their tax returns in compliance with these laws. Unsurprisingly, people make mistakes, miscalculations, and missteps that result in inaccurate returns and payments. Even when these issues seem small, they […]
In his 2003 book “Perfectly Legal” writer and investigative reporter David Cay Johnston delves into the U.S tax laws. His mission was to show how the very rich escape– in a perfectly legal fashion–the paying of taxes. The book raised both eyebrows and concerns. Is the U.S. tax system rigged […]
To cut to the chase: no. In order for you to be charged with and found guilty of fraud, the mistake has to be “willful.” You have to have what we in the legal world calls mens rea- or a guilty mind. You need a guilty mind to prove intent. What […]
Anyone who’s ever flown first class to Europe knows that it makes a difference. When you are gastronomically pampered with a five-course French meal, including a cheese selection and a buttery croissant, that is also expertly paired with a 68-degree Bordeaux or bubbly Comtes Grand Cru AND you get to […]
If you are wishing to avoid criminal prosecution and be compliant with The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) you will need to accurately report on any foreign financial accounts and foreign assets you or your company or business entity holds. In November of 2018, the IRS issued new guidance […]
Essentially a lifestyle is triggered when a person’s assets do not match their reported income. Through the lens of the IRS, the thinking goes something like this: If you own a mansion, a second or third vacation property, an expensive car, and a personal jet, it seems unlikely that your […]
Intention, more times than not, is a “catch-all” criminal charge. Why? Because you do not have to prove someone actually DID something, only that they were going to do something, or acted with intention. So, the intent is not the actual doing of something, it is the mental preparation to […]
The ways in which people handle money differ from person to person. For some, using offshore accounts may make sense for their financial situations, particularly if they hope to gain some kind of tax advantage. However, if parties do not report the necessary information regarding their foreign accounts to the […]
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a physician accepted a plea deal after facing accusations of tax evasion. The government stated the physician failed to report on his tax returns for 20 years. Was it an accident? In most cases, a prison sentence tied to a tax crime involves […]