When you need tax help, it only makes sense to look for in-depth experience in all of the tax laws relevant to you and your business. Federal and California state tax laws are constantly changing, and it isn’t easy for the average taxpayer to keep up with all of the…
Back taxes can be financially crippling both to you and your business. If your tax debt is more than you can afford to pay back in a lump sum, or if you think there may be some error on the part of the government in assessing how much you owe,…
Attorney client privilege is a concept from the law of evidence that protects communications made between a client and his or her attorney. A client can claim this privilege to prevent the attorney from being forced to testify or produce evidence that is protected under this rule. This encourages the…
Getting a letter from the IRS notifying you of an upcoming tax audit is never a welcome event. At the very least, it can be a major inconvenience. At worst, it could mean the possibility of criminal investigation for tax fraud. Knowing how to proceed when you are notified can…
As a California employer, you are responsible for making payroll tax payments to the California Employment Development Department and the IRS. These payroll tax deposits must be made regularly, often monthly or weekly as taxes are withheld from payroll disbursements. If you become behind on making these deposits, you could…
Tax laws change regularly, and are a challenge to adequately decipher under the best of circumstances. Even with the requisite due diligence and the help of a CPA, you may find yourself the recipient of a letter from the IRS “inviting you to an audit.” If you’ve been audited by…
Periodically, the Brager Tax Law Group surveys tax preparers and/or taxpayers on a variety of issues. Our most recent survey targeted tax preparers and their interaction with the IRS in a number of areas, including disclosure programs, FBARs and marijuana businesses. The survey contained several…
Tax season is difficult enough. When living abroad, it can become even more complicated. As a U.S. citizen, you must file a tax return with the IRS, regardless of where you are living in the world. You also may need to pay and file taxes in the country where you…
The IRS announced that effective Oct. 1, 2016, it will rarely conduct Appeals Conferences in person. More specifically, Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) 8.6.1.4, blandly entitled “Conference Practices,” provides that ALL conferences will be held by telephone except under certain specific enumerated circumstances. Those circumstances are as follows: There are substantial…
The Taxpayer Advocate is a tireless champion of taxpayer rights. The Taxpayer Advocate is required by law to issue reports to Congress. Her most recent mid-year report was recently released. One of her issues was that the IRS continues to levy on retirement accounts even though the IRS guidance to…