Category Archives: IRS

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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Deadlines for Us, But Not for Them (Part 2)

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Russ

Back in March I wrote about my client who received an IRS notice regarding his 2012 tax return. I had immediately sent a reply in to the IRS. The IRS received it and it went into the queue. In March, … Continue reading →

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Tax-Exempt Tax Filing Deadline Today

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Russ

Today, May 15th, is the day that calendar year tax-exempt organizations must file their Form 990 series tax returns. This includes the 990 postcard form, Form 990-EZ, Form 990-PF, and Form 990. What do you do if you’re not ready? … Continue reading →

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A Better Idea on Identity Theft

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Russ

As I wrote yesterday, the IRS announced new rules on tax professionals regarding electronic filing. Based on my reading of these rules, the IRS should expect a significant increase in paper-filed returns. Why? Because the new rules likely violate state … Continue reading →

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Yes, Mom, I Need to See Your ID

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Russ

UPDATE: The IRS released a new version of Publication 1345 on November 18th that clarified that a Form 8878 or 8879 signed in ink and hand delivered, faxed, mailed, emailed, or uploaded via a web portal is not an electronic … Continue reading →

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