Category Archives: Tax Fraud

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion Gets a Vegas Preparer in Hot Water

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Russ

I prepare quite a few returns with the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. The Exclusion allows bona fide residents of a foreign country or individuals who are outside of the United States for 330 days out of a 365-consecutive day period … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Fraud | 2 Comments

“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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I’m Sure This Will Endear Him To The Judge

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Russ

You’re about to be sentenced on 20 felony convictions. You wouldn’t just flee the country, would you? Well Alan Rodrigues tried to do just that. Mr. Rodrigues was convicted last May on charges that he led a national scheme to … Continue reading →

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It Was the Sisterly Thing To Do

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Russ

Three Wisconsin sisters allegedly decided that tax fraud and identity theft should stay in the family. They’ve been accused of filing 2,000 phony returns by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. The Staten sisters (Sharon, Tawanda, and Angela) face 22, 28, … Continue reading →

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“Ripping Off Your Refunds” In the Miami Herald

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Russ

There is an excellent article in the Miami Herald on the identity theft tax fraud crisis. The epicenter of this is South Florida (as noted in the article). I don’t have much to add to the frustrations of victims with … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, Tax Fraud | Tagged | 1 Comment

Solely a Way to Go to ClubFed

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Russ

Until I became a tax professional I had never heard of a “Corporation Sole.” It’s a legal entity consisting of a single incorporated office, occupied by a single person. It’s a corporate structure used mainly for religions organizations so that … Continue reading →

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Old Fashioned Theft Leads to New Fashioned Identity Theft

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Russ

A case out of my old home town of Visalia, California lets us know that sometimes there’s just not much you can do to prevent yourself from being a victim of identity theft. Back in 2011 Rebekah Root either stole … Continue reading →

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Former Mayor (and Current CPA) Learns of Tax Fraud, Joins the Conspiracy

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Russ

This is for the don’t do this at home file for tax professionals. Kenneth Harycki is the former mayor of Stillwater, Minnesota. He’s also a licensed CPA in Minnesota (but probably not for much longer). Mr. Harycki will provide an … Continue reading →

Posted in Minnesota, Tax Fraud | Tagged , | 1 Comment

FTC Sponsors Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Russ

Coincidentally (see the previous post), yesterday I received an email from Lisa Lake, Director of Consumer & Business Education of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). She was highlighting the FTC’s Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week. Happily, this is not a … Continue reading →

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Tax Fraud on the Wholesale

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Russ

Out of New York City comes allegations of wholesale tax fraud. Seven individuals were arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Some of the defendants were charged … Continue reading →

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