Author Archives: Russ

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Back in January 2007, Frederick John “Rick” Rizzolo was sentenced to a year and a day at ClubFed for his part in conspiring to defraud the IRS. Mr. Rizzolo was the owner of the Crazy Horse Too, an ‘adult entertainment … Continue reading →

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Deliberately Not Following the Rules Would Get Me in Trouble, But Not Ms. Lerner

The IRS scandal continues to percolate. Yesterday and today we discover that Lois Lerner may have printed out some of her emails. And that she deliberately used an instant messaging system so that her communications wouldn’t be discovered. President Obama, … Continue reading →

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Pop Goes the Tax Fraud

Here’s a potpourri of tax fraud to end your holiday weekend. First, we head to Albany, New York, where former rapper “Prime Minister Pete Nice” (aka Peter Nash) didn’t like paying state income taxes. There’s a problem with that: You … Continue reading →

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IRS Didn’t Tell a Court About the Missing Lerner Emails

Eventually, we will know exactly what happened with the IRS scandal. For now, little pieces continue to drip out. One of the most recent concerns the missing Lois Lerner emails. I had forgotten that Judicial Watch had filed a Freedom … Continue reading →

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There’s No Trust Like a Sham Trust

My dentist loves me…well, he loves my teeth. Years of orthodontia and ice hockey combined with some interesting genetics has helped my dentists make money off me. One local dentist decided to make money in a different way. Dr. Leslie … Continue reading →

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FBAR Deadline Is June 30th, but It’s Not a Midnight Deadline

Almost every tax deadline is a postmark deadline. If your return is postmarked by midnight of the deadline day it’s considered timely filed. If you file it electronically, and it’s filed by midnight, it’s timely. Of course, with every rule … Continue reading →

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IRS Ignores AICPA & NAEA; Court Likely Destination for IRS’s New “Annual Filing Season Program”

The National Association of Enrolled Agents sent the IRS a letter stating that they didn’t like the idea of a voluntary tax preparer regulation program. (Full disclosure: I’m a member of the NAEA.) The NAEA pointed out that there’s already … Continue reading →

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Lerner Appears to Have Targeted Iowa Senator Grassley

In the IRS scandal news of the day, we learned today that Lois Lerner apparently targeted Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and his wife for an audit. In an email, Lois Lerner wrote, Is this the one where we got the … Continue reading →

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Koskinen Channels His Inner Nixon

Those of us who are old enough remember this: That is the late President Nixon who stated he was not a crook. Well, last night we had part two of Koskinen Goes to Capitol Hill. He was in front of … Continue reading →

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Online Gambling Addresses (Updated for 2014)

Note: This list has been superseded by the 2015 list. You can find it here. With the United States v. Hom decision, we must again file an FBAR for foreign online gambling sites. An FBAR (Form 114) is required if … Continue reading →

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