Category Archives: IRS

Haste Makes Waste

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Russ

Or so the cliche goes. And for the IRS, it certainly does. A client filed his tax return on October 2nd. He had a balance due (he had made an extension payment, but he still owed some tax). He paid … Continue reading →

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A Letter on Redacted Transcripts

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Russ

About a month ago I wrote Nina Olson, the IRS National Taxpayer Advocate, regarding the IRS’s new policy on redacting transcripts. I noted several issues: 1. While an unredacted transcript is available, it is only available to taxpayers, not tax … Continue reading →

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One Tiptoe Forward for Representation, With that Giant Step Backwards Still Coming

Posted on September 19, 2018 by Russ

The IRS released a Fact Sheet today on the new transcript redaction policy that begins on Monday. There’s one very slight piece of good news for tax professionals in the Fact Sheet: If necessary for return preparation, a client may … Continue reading →

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IRS Extends Deadlines for Those Impacted by Hurricane Florence

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Russ

Hurricane Florence is battering North and South Carolina. News reports indicate “biblical” amounts of rain will fall, with catastrophic flooding probable throughout the Carolinas. Today, the IRS announced that they are extending deadlines for those in the federal disaster zone … Continue reading →

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We’re Not Gonna Take It

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Russ

The IRS issued proposed regulations today on charitable contributions as it relates to state and local tax credits. Here’s a hint to politicians in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. The IRS is telling you: Here’s an excerpt from the … Continue reading →

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One Giant Step Forward for Security (Maybe), One Huge Step Backward for Representation

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Russ

If you are a tax professional who does any representation work, do I have news for you…and it’s not good. Yesterday, the IRS made an announcement about redacting information on transcripts. Here’s an excerpt of the announcement: Moving to better … Continue reading →

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Can You Spin Garbage Into Gold?

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Russ

I guess I’ll spoil the post: Rumpelstiltskin could spin straw into gold. Rumpelstiltskin, Inc. thought it could do the same for garbage, spinning it into tax credits. The Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service disagreed. So did the Tax Court. … Continue reading →

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Return to Sender

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Russ

A client was selected for a correspondence audit; the IRS asked the client to submit all the documentation regarding a tax credit taken on a recent return. The client had all the documentation, made his photocopies, and mailed off the … Continue reading →

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The Amazing, Incredible, Expanding Postcard!

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Russ

When I was a child, people used postcards to save on postage. Postage for postcards ran a nickel. That was less than a phone call. Today, with the emergence of cellphones, the only postcards I receive are advertisements. But the … Continue reading →

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IRS Interest Rates Unchanged for the Third Quarter of 2018

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Russ

The IRS announced yesterday that IRS interest rates will be unchanged for the third quarter of 2018: The rates will be: – 5 percent for overpayments, 4 percent in the case of a corporation; – 2.5 percent for the portion … Continue reading →

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