Category Archives: IRS

Sometimes the Cynics Are Right (The IRS Targeted Conservative Groups During the 2012 Campaign)

Last year, tea party and conservative groups complained that the IRS was blocking their ability to become tax-exempt organizations. Some organizations complained that the IRS was asking for lists of donors. Last year, then IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman denied that … Continue reading

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How Long Should You Keep Your Tax Returns For?

A question I’m asked every year is how long should I keep my tax returns? And how long should I keep the backup documentation for the returns? The first question is easy to answer; the second one isn’t. (James Maule’s … Continue reading

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Reversing Two Penalties That Should Never Have Been Charged

When are tax returns due? For most individuals, its April 15th. However, if you are outside of the United States on April 15th for purposes of employment or self-employment you get an extra two months (until June 15th) to file … Continue reading

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How Not to Deduct 85,491 Miles

Having resided in Southern California, I know you can put a lot of miles on your car in that area. One engineering teacher learned the hard way from Tax Court that a written mileage log is essential if you want … Continue reading

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Kudos to Kenneth Ryskamp

Who is Kenneth Ryskamp? He’s a Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Judge Ryskamp was born in 1932, and has been a US District Court Judge since 1986 (and a Senior Judge … Continue reading

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Bozo Tax Tip #1: Don’t Be Suspicious!

As I write this (in March), I just got off the phone with one of my clients. He just did very well in a poker tournament, and won just over $11,000. He took the money in cash (rather than a … Continue reading

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Bozo Tax Tip #4: Procrastinate!

Today is April 9th. The tax deadline is just six days away. What happens if you wake up and it’s April 15, 2013, and you can’t file your tax? File an extension. Download Form 4868, make an estimate of what … Continue reading

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DC Circuit Upholds Injunction on Preparer Regulation

There’s no loving for preparer regulation at the DC Circuit. In a terse three sentence order, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia refused to grant the IRS’s request for a stay of the court decision (Loving et. … Continue reading

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To Boldly Go Where No IRS Employee Has Gone Before…

I’m not a huge fan of Star Trek. I may have met Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher on the sequel, Star Trek: The Next Generation), but I just don’t watch much television. Apparently, someone (or several someones) at the IRS are … Continue reading

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If You Want a World Series of Poker Bracelet…

…You can get one at auction in Sacramento on April 4th. Jerry Yang, the winner of the Main Event of the 2007 World Series of Poker, is in tax trouble with both the IRS and California’s Franchise Tax Board. Back … Continue reading

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