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To fight identity theft, IRS urged to change W-2 requirements

A new Government Accountability Office report includes recommendations for the Internal Revenue Service designed to cut identity theft and fraud. The first is to advance the W-2 filing deadline. The second is to lower a threshold for the electronic filing of W-2 Forms. In a preliminary analysis of 2013 tax […]

IRS

Federal prosecutors appeal tax evasion sentence

The tax case against the founder of Beanie Babies, Ty Warner, continues as prosecutors challenge the lenient probation sentence handed down after Warner pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. Prosecutors alleged that Warner failed to report $24 million by hiding money in two Swiss offshore bank accounts, which […]

Tax Crimes

Belize firms accused of offshore tax evasion scheme

In a crackdown on offshore accounts, the Internal Revenue Service has placed more focus on the disclosure of foreign accounts. In addition, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act went into effect in July and requires foreign financial institutions provide the agency information on U.S. taxpayer clients. A recently unsealed indictment […]

Tax Crimes

Treasury Officials Arm Themselves for Inversion Battle

Treasury Department officials are preparing an arsenal of administrative weapons for Secretary Jacob Lew to use in the government’s battle to prevent U.S. companies from reincorporating overseas in an effort to avoid paying federal taxes, otherwise known as tax inversion. Inversion, while complex, became popular because of its ability to […]

Legislation

Citibank Sends Form 1099 for Bank Rewards Programs

Most banks have some type of customer loyalty points program where you earn a certain number of points based on dollars charged each month. In some cases, the bank may offer a certain number of points for opening an account. When you convert the points into a new television or […]

Audits

Expert Argues In Favor of U.S. Corporate Tax

While the U.S. maintains the highest corporate tax rate at 35 percent, a paper published earlier this month by University of Southern California law professor Edward Kleinbard, suggests many companies use a system of elaborate tax loopholes to avoid paying anywhere near that amount. Kleinbard’s work gained national recognition after […]

Legislation

Mortgage Relief Settlement Could Defray Tax Liability

As part of a recent settlement between Bank of America and the U.S. Department of Justice, almost seven billion dollars will be available to provide relief for homeowners struggling with “underwater” mortgages. Forgiveness of substantial mortgage debt could however lead to large tax bills in April just as these homeowners […]

Audits

Democrats Follow Through With Inversion Threat

Senate Democrats moved to discourage the use of inversion by outlining a proposal that would restrict the practice of earnings stripping, where U.S. companies borrow money from overseas parents and deduct the interest expense on U.S. taxes. The plan, outlined by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), makes it clear that […]

Legislation