Category Archives: IRS

Bozo Tax Tip #7: Be Suspicious!

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Russ

As I write this (in March), I just got off the phone with one of my clients. He’s had a very good year, and has $100,000 in cash to deposit. He had been keeping the money as cash because he … Continue reading →

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Bozo Tax Tip #8: Be Frivolous!

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Russ

I’d love to be frivolous during tax season. But the inbox is full, the piles of paper don’t go anywhere unless I move them, and my next day off is April 16th. I can get a good laugh when I … Continue reading →

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Form 1042 Filing Deadline is Monday, March 16th

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Russ

Most people are aware of Form 1099; that’s the form you send individuals in the US to report various kinds of income. There’s a similar form used when you’re sending paperwork to non-Americans: It’s Form 1042-S. These forms must be … Continue reading →

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Corporate Tax Deadline is Monday, March 16th

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Russ

The deadline for calendar year corporations (both C-corporations and S-corporations) to file their 2014 tax returns is Monday, March 16th. If you’re not ready to file, simply file an extension. This can be done electronically, or download Form 7004 and … Continue reading →

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“Give us a tax code that is simple enough for taxpayers to comply with and simple enough for the IRS to administer, and you’ll dramatically reduce fraud.”

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Russ

It’s not brain surgery. Tom Giovanetti hits the nail squarely on the head in his op-ed in The Hill. Mr. Giovanetti notes that keeping the voters happy is why fraud prevention hasn’t been a big issue. But it is now, … Continue reading →

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You Have to Have an Unreimbursed Loss to Claim a Casualty Loss

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Russ

On Monday, February 23rd it was raining as I left for the gym. As I got to the gym, the road felt funny–slicker than in a normal rain. I realized that it was snowing. Now, our “blizzard” wasn’t crippling or … Continue reading →

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Don’t Call Us

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Russ

Today I attempted to call the IRS Practitioner Priority Service (PPS). I had an outstanding issue I needed to resolve. I didn’t get through. I’m used to being on hold for two hours when calling the IRS. Unfortunately, the IRS … Continue reading →

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Oops Gets Bigger

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Russ

Or, first California, now the United States. Last week I reported on Cover California’s error impacting an estimated 100,000 individuals who received incorrect Form 1095-A’s. It turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg. As reported by AP: … Continue reading →

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Oops

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Russ

This past weekend I saw my first Form 1095-A. That’s the form that individuals covered by health insurance through a plan form an exchange will receive. In California, 800,000 of these were mailed. Unfortunately, 100,000 of these were wrong. Oops. … Continue reading →

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IRS Announces Small Business Relief for Form 3115 (Property Regulation Issue)

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Russ

The IRS apparently figured out that under a literal reading of the new property/capitalization/depreciation regulations, every business would have to submit a Form 3115. The IRS determined that being buried under a tsunami of paper wasn’t a great idea. Today, … Continue reading →

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