Tax Evasion

On December 6, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York issued a press release announcing that a Lewisboro, New York town justice pled guilty to tax evasion in federal court.1The new release reminds taxpayers all over the country that the authorities are diligently pursuing tax evaders in an effort […]

The IRS understands that the tax code is long and confusing. Therefore, the agency is willing to cut people slack if they make an honest mistake on their taxes. This reasonable attempt to comply with tax code is not a crime but referred to as negligence. However, tax evasion – willfully not paying a tax […]

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced the arrest, conviction and sentencing of a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employee. The crime: tax evasion. What is tax evasion? Tax evasion is more than just a simple mistake on one’s tax returns. When the government accuses a taxpayer of this crime, they are accusing the person […]

It may seem like an innocuous crime that would come with, at most, a financial penalty. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) does not take lightly to information a tax payer may be committing tax crimes. When are tax crimes serious? One key distinction: Negligence vs Tax Fraud. Negligence […]

Getting accused of a tax crime is a serious matter. The allegations can range from a relatively minor discrepancy that results in a financial penalty to major errors that lead to prison time. One of the key factors that will determine the severity of the allegations is whether the government claims the crime was willful. […]

On August 13, 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia issued a release reporting the federal grand jury indictment of reality television stars, Todd and Julie Chrisley. These Chrisley Knows Best stars face multiple counts of conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. Additionally, the Chrisleys’ accountant, Peter Tarantino, has […]

The United States tax code requires those who pay tax obligations to report all assets, including those held overseas. The government has passed recent laws that are intended to encourage foreign financial institutions to aid in finding U.S. taxpayers that are attempting to avoid reporting these assets. Like any reporting requirement, these institutions can get […]

A successful art dealer recently faced sentencing for allegations of tax evasion. The allegations are the result of a six-year investigation which led to evidence to support the following crimes: Failure to file. During the investigation, it became apparent the accused had failed to file taxes in 2009 and 2010. Wrongful use of business expense […]

The Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) is generally required for United States citizens and residents that have an interest in foreign accounts. A failure to properly report these assets can result in fees and other penalties, including imprisonment. The severity of the penalty generally depends on the details of the violation. Willful […]

To report or not to report? That question has likely crossed the minds of any investor that owns cryptocurrency. Those who ask this question should note that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has now trained agents on how to pursue digital currencies like Bitcoin. Unfortunately, there is not currently an official amnesty program for those […]