Tax Topics

Let’s continue the discussion we began last week about the creation of a common reporting standard (CRS) for revenue agencies around the world to exchange information about tax compliance. The CRS won’t take formal effect until September 2017. But more than 100 counties have already agreed to participate. In this part of the post, we […]

Data privacy is a critical concern in the online. Breaches of personal information can lead to identity theft, fraud and other serious problems for those who information is compromised. In recent years, there have been numerous widespread significant data breaches in the private sector, at companies such as Target and EBay. Breaches have occurred in […]

Tax filing is a little bit like homework, in that it involves turning in information that meets certain requirements. To be sure, the IRS does not exactly give you a letter grade on what you turn in (or fail to turn in). But an audit, or even worse a criminal investigation, can carry consequences more […]

In the classic story of “Romeo and Juliet” there is a well-known and often repeated line, “What’s in a name?” In the tax world, a name can mean the difference of thousands of dollars. It is important for business owners, employers, employees and independent contractors to understand the distinction between titles and to plan for […]

We should never take it for granted that particular transactions will not have tax consequences. Even the providing of gifts can be subject to IRS tax laws. This is particularly true of gifts between U.S. citizens and citizens of another country. Gifts provided to foreign citizens receive the same treatment as gifts between U.S. citizens. […]

Although no one wants to be involved in a tax controversy with the Internal Revenue Service, it is important to remember that taxpayers have a judicial remedy available to them. Specifically, IRS civil tax litigation can be brought in one of four different courts, depending on the type of claim. Our law firm has helped […]

The last thing anyone needs after a divorce is trouble with the Internal Revenue Service. However, there are several tax considerations that an individual should heed in order to avoid a post-divorce tax controversy. In particular, an individual should understand how the IRS regards his or her property ownership and liabilities after a divorce. In […]

The Internal Revenue Service recently issued a warning against tax scams. The problem is more widespread than readers may realize: almost 4,000 Americans may already have lost over $20 million due to such deceitful tactics. How could such fraud happen? One method of contact may be via written correspondence on authentic looking letterhead. Notably, those […]

Cyber-thieves based in Russia and other countries recently hacked into an IRS website, stealing U.S. taxpayer information and using that information to file more than 10,000 false tax returns. In return, the hackers walked away with tens of millions of dollars in tax refunds. Since then, the IRS has been working with federal agencies, state […]

Today was the extended filing deadline for U.S. citizens who lived abroad on the regular tax due date for 2014 returns. You still have until the end of June to file your FBARs, FATCA reports and Statements of Special Foreign Financial Assets, as appropriate, however, which brings us back to those controversial foreign income reports. […]