Author Archives: Russ

As the Emails Churn…

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Russ

The IRS Scandal continues to get uglier. Joe Kristan called it, “The dog ate my email….” All I know is that I’d end up in a new profession if I tried the excuses the IRS has given. But it got … Continue reading →

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Soon: No More Circular 230 Notices

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Russ

When I attended the annual CSEA SuperSeminar, Karen Hawkins, Director of the Office of Professional Responsibility (of the IRS), told a luncheon crowd that a new version of Circular 230 will be released within two weeks. Well, that didn’t happen. … Continue reading →

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The Two Year Gap

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Russ

Do you remember how the IRS scandal began? It began when Lois Lerner made a speech and noted that the IRS erred and targeted conservative and Tea Party 501(c)(4) applicants. This occurred on a Friday afternoon. Shock of shocks, another … Continue reading →

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IRS Adopts “Taxpayer Bill of Rights;” Will Anything Change?

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Russ

With great fanfare the IRS today announced the adoption of The Taxpayer Bill of Rights. As noted in the IRS announcement, The Taxpayer Bill of Rights takes the multiple existing rights embedded in the tax code and groups them into … Continue reading →

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Perhaps This Is Why Lois Lerner Is Taking the Fifth

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Russ

You remember the IRS scandal? It’s still around, and it appears that the IRS (or highly placed individuals at the IRS) violated the law. From Eliana Johnson comes a report that begins, The Internal Revenue Service may have been caught … Continue reading →

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More on the Hom Decision

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Russ

Jack Townsend of the Federal Tax Crimes Blog has a post on United States v. Hom today. In his post, he notes that Mr. Hom represented himself. Indeed, the court is still looking for a pro bono counsel to represent … Continue reading →

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Another Example of a Regulated Preparer Committing Tax Crimes

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Russ

Yet another example of a regulated preparer committing tax crimes emerged this past week out of Ohio. Larry Couchot is a CPA in Ohio. He’s president and an owner of an accounting firm. Mr. Couchot also may be heading to … Continue reading →

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It’s Only a 56% Tax Increase…

Posted on June 8, 2014 by Russ

In the, “Tales, I win, heads, you lose” news of the week comes word of a 56% increase in Chicago’s telephone tax. The tax increase might prevent a $50 million property tax increase…but then again it might not. The issues … Continue reading →

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Back to the Past: Poker Sites and FBARs. Poker Sites Are Again Reportable Foreign Financial Accounts

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Russ

Back in the past, I asked the FBAR group at the IRS whether or not poker sites needed to be reported. In January 2009, they told me they did have to be reported. In prior years, the FBAR group said … Continue reading →

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Next Month Has Arrived (or, Deadlines for Us, But Not for Them, Part 3)

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Russ

I’m a Cubs fan. As such, I’m always waiting for next year. I have a client who has been waiting since October to get his IRS notice issue resolved. I’ve written about it twice before. Back in March, we received … Continue reading →

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