Eli S. Noff, Esq., Partner On March 13, 2018, the IRS issued news release, IR-2018-52, announcing that the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) will close on September 28, 2018. The OVDP’s objective has enabled willful US taxpayers with undisclosed foreign assets to become compliant with US tax laws, while simultaneously avoiding substantial statutory civil penalties […]

Glen E. Frost, Managing Partner The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers a passive activity as any activity involving the conduct of a trade or business in which the taxpayer does not materially participate.1Rental activity is considered a per se passive activity, regardless of the taxpayer’s participation level, unless the taxpayer can demonstrate that he or […]

As cryptocurrency continues to inspire global awareness and dialogue, the news in the US has mostly focused on its regulation as a commodity; however, very recently, states like Arizona and Georgia are on the brink of recognizing Bitcoin, and its kin, as currency–allowing people to pay their tax bill with it. While neither state has […]

Eli Noff, Esq., Partner On May 16, 2018, in United States v. Colliot,[1]the District Court for the Western District of Texas held that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is precluded from assessing a willful Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) penalty exceeding the $100,000 limit provided in Federal Regulation (Reg.) §1010.820. The decision […]

This article looks at four tax return “red flags” that supposedly trigger audits and whether they actually do. Whenever tax season rolls around, articles quickly pop up on social media and on online news sites about how tax filers could inadvertently increase their risk of an audit. While some of this advice is true, much […]

From a tax perspective, an audit is one of the most challenging situations a taxpayer may confront. Whether you’re facing an audit now, or you’re simply concerned about the possibility of an audit, there are several things you need to know. Each year, the process of filing taxes fills many Americans with dread and frustration. […]

Glen E. Frost, Esq., CPA, CFP® On December 20, 2018, Congressman George Holding (R-North Carolina) introduced the Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad Act of 2018 (H.R. 7358) (TFAA)—a long-awaited residency-based tax bill with the very real potential to provide the framework necessary to ultimately replace the current US citizenship-based taxation regime. As drafted, TFAA would […]

On May 23, 2018, the Maryland Tax Court held that the Maryland legislature’s 2014 attempt to lower the interest rate for refunds resulting from the decision in Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland v. Wynne [1] was unconstitutional.[2]As such, interest paid on Wynne refunds will be at a rate of 13 percent—the same rate for […]

Eli Noff, Esq., Partner In 2017, the Maryland Student Debt Relief Tax Credit was implemented to provide eligible Maryland taxpayers, even those who have already graduated, with at least a modicum of student loan forgiveness from the state government.[1]In January of 2019, Governor Hogan announced the program’s results for tax year 2018, noting that Maryland […]

Eli Noff, Esq.,Partner As we reported last year, the IRS is actively targeting taxpayers with “seriously delinquent tax debt” for passport denial/revocation.[1]Recently, on July 12, 2019, the IRS released interim guidance for agency officials regarding passport decertification and revocation.[2]The guidance signifies a significant shift in enforcement. Until now, some certified taxpayers have experienced the enforcement […]