Category Archives: IRS

“I Don’t Think an Apology Is Owed”

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Russ

Congressman Paul Ryan is annoyed. There is not much to add to what Congressman Ryan said today. For those who didn’t watch today’s hearing, FoxNews has an accurate summary: Koskinen set a defiant tone during his testimony before the House … Continue reading →

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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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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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Something New From the IRS that We Can All Like!

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Russ

I’ve been bashing the IRS recently, but I’ve had lots of good reasons to do so. The new signature verification policy is somewhere between stupid and useless; the IRS’s response to the current IRS scandal is poor; and customer service … Continue reading →

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New Identification Rules Go Over Like a Lead Balloon

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Russ

Joe Kristan had a post this morning noting the reaction of 250 Iowa tax professionals to the new rules on third-party verification rules. The reaction was “You must be kidding me.” The problem was that the IRS wasn’t kidding. Jason … Continue reading →

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