Lately I've been getting deluged with cases involving blatant US Treasury Circular 230 violators of regulations governing practice before the Internal Revenue Service. The perpetrators it seems come from all walks of life, some are unregulated tax return preparers while others carry multiple licenses, designations...
The IRS has released Form 8940, Request for Miscellaneous Determination that tax-exempt organizations will use to request certain determinations about their tax-exempt status. In addition to foundation status issues, organizations will use this new form to obtain advance approval of certain activities and exemption from IRS Form 990 filing requirements. ...
There are several options available through the IRS to resolve delinquent tax obligations and/or request relief. One of the many reasons you need to be careful when engaging the IRS in these regards is because many of the programs including offer in compromise, collection due...
Generally severance payments made to terminated employees have been held by the US Tax Court to be FICA wages because the definition of "wages" for FICA purposes found in the Internal Revenue Code is so broad. "Wages" include all remuneration or money paid for employment...
I received a fascinating question on mortgage interest allocation and IRS Publication 936 for tax deduction purposes. This post summarizes and clarifies further. For example You have a $110,000 mortgage outstanding on your primary or secondary residence This residence is valued at $350,000, and you refinance...
With mortgage rates at levels not seen in generations and the banks finally starting to lend again many people have been calling with questions about the tax implications of refinancing. It can be a little confusing and this is my best attempt at explaining it...
I am so sick and tired of late night commercials selling snake oil. My latest angst comes from claims of tax free municipal bonds. Not all municipal bonds offer tax free interest so the next time slick Rick the broker harasses you to buy his...
IRS Publication 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities, includes a table of income source rules, including pay for personal services, interest, rents, royalties, income from natural resources, scholarship and fellowship grants, and guarantees of indebtedness. I must write from experience that identifying income is best accomplished if...
If you are delinquent on taxes you may be considering some IRS payment arrangement whereby your total tax liability will be considered satisfied in exchange for a payment plan that is less then the full amount owed. Two different plans that I have had success with...
I have had the pleasure of helping many people new to either living or conducting business in the USA determine their tax liability to the US Treasury and have grown increasingly surprised about the confusion over who or what type of entity is considered a...