If there is any doubt as to whether a taxpayer is liable for income taxes, there is a good chance that the IRS will agree to settle for less. The IRS Office of Appeals is tasked with doing just that. IRS appeals settlements are usually all or nothing. If the taxpayer does not accept the…
Category: Tax Procedure
Tax Procedure
From IRS audits and appeals to tax litigation and penalties, our tax attorneys can help you navigate the tax procedure landscape with confidence. Give us a call to see how we can help, (713) 909-4906.
How to Contest an IRS Settlement Agreement
What happens if the IRS enters into a settlement agreement for your tax liability and then, later, it takes a position that is inconsistent with the agreement? For example, can the IRS agree that an expense is deductible by your business only to say that the same is expense is taxable income to you as…
What Counts as Tax Advice?
What if a CPA talks to you and tells you about a tax law? You have received tax advice, right? What if a CPA sends you a letter or email saying the same thing he would have said to you in person, had he spoke to you in person? Probably still tax advice, no? What…
Tax Reporting for Returns & Allowances
Our tax laws create categories–income/exclusion, deduction, and credit. Taxpayers are presented with structured forms that set out these categories. The IRS expects taxpayers to fill out the forms by correctly identifying what items go in each category. But it is not always clear what items go in each category. Taxpayers may engage in tax planning…
When Can the IRS Collect Tax Debts from a Dead Person?
Dad filed his taxes but didn’t pay. Several years pass by, say five years. Dad dies. The family eventually files for probate several years later. Say 10 years has passed since the taxes were first due? Has the time limit for the IRS to collect the unpaid taxes lapsed? How does the filing of the…
Correcting Tax Overpayments After the Refund Period
There are times when tax deadlines are strict. They cannot be changed. The time period for filing a refund claim is an example. Taxpayers generally have the later of three years from the filing of a return or two years from the payment of the tax to file a refund claim. But what if the…
Tax Court Puffery: Exaggeration is Not Evidence
Every communication makes statements. The statements may be truthful or false. A statement that is misleading or exaggerated is somewhere between these two. There can be significant legal consequences depending on where a statement falls on this continuum. This raises questions as to how precise do the statements have to be to be false? If…
Rejected e-File Return is a Valid Tax Return
The IRS’s Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (“IP PIN”) is intended to protect those who are victims of identity theft. It does so by making it harder for third parties to file fraudulent tax returns. The IP PIN can also cause problems for taxpayers. This is particularly true for tax returns that are filed close…
Illness as a Defense to Late Filing Penalties
Will the IRS penalize you if you are unable to file your tax return on time due to the burden of caring for a loved one with COVID? The IRS has not provided penalty relief for taxpayers impacted by COVID-19. The existing penalty relief rules may provide a remedy for some taxpayers. These rules do…
Does an IRS Audit Waive a Defect in Tax Return?
When it comes to technicalities in the tax law, the failure to comply with some technicalities can be overcome. Others cannot. As a general rule, the courts evaluate tax disputes involving technicalities based on the policy underlying the technicality versus fairness for requiring strict compliance. If the policy for the technicality is important, the court…