Posts by Chad Zimmerman

In the first part of this post, we discussed the scenario of getting a computer-generated notice informing you that the IRS is proposing changes to your return. This can happen when the income you reported doesn’t match information the IRS has received about your income from employers, banks or other third parties. In this part […]

Every year, millions of taxpayers receive a computer-generated notice from the IRS about (supposedly) underreported income. These notices are called CP2000 or automated underreporting (AUR) notices. They are generated (shall we say “spit out”?) by IRS computers based on a mismatch between the income reported on a taxpayer’s return and information available to the IRS […]

“Fudge” is a peculiar word. As a noun, it refers to a soft, creamy candy or, more generally, to foolish nonsense. As a verb, it means to fake or falsify something, or to bend the rules. When filing taxes, what does it mean to fudge and what can happen if you do? Fudging is hardly […]

If you get behind on your taxes, the IRS could try to go after your paycheck to collect the debt. In this post, we’ll address frequently asked questions about this process. What does “garnishment” mean exactly? Garnishment is an old legal term for the procedure used to take property to pay a debt. In the […]

In the first part of this post, we began discussing collection due process (CDP) rights. Those rights and required procedures are important in establishing the rules that the IRS has to play by when seeking to collect back taxes. In this part of the post, let’s look at some of the reasons why people can […]

You may have heard that Congress has directed the IRS to create a program to use private debt collectors for tax debt in certain cases. That program is not yet, in place, however, and for now collections for federal tax debt are still being done solely by the IRS. We will update you in an […]

The IRS’s stepped-up enforcement campaign on offshore account disclosure has been going on for years now. Combined with the rollout of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, it has put great pressure on taxpayers with offshore holding as well as foreign financial institutions. Faced with possible criminal penalties, many taxpayers have chosen to participate in […]

Glen Frost is advocating for a same country exemption from FATCA reporting for citizens living abroad: https://www.internationalinvestment.net/products/american-expat-group-calls-country-fatca-exemption/ Here is the text of the letter from American Citizens Abroad to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs Robert Stack: August 10, 2016 The Honorable Robert B. Stack Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs United […]

Let’s continue the discussion we started last week of IRS whistleblower awards. Last week, we noted that a recent Tax Court ruling has broadened to scope of awards to be based not only a percentage of unpaid taxes, but also on criminal fines and civil forfeiture. In this part of the post, we will explain […]

The IRS operates a whistleblower program by which individuals who tip off the government about tax evasion can potentially receive monetary awards. Critics sometimes contend that whistleblowers have to wait too long for the IRS to act on applications for awards. But when large amounts of unpaid taxes are involved, the awards to whistleblowers can […]