As taxes continue to climb, more and more Americans are getting fed up. While its common to hear people in taverns and lunch counters across the country threaten to simply give up their citizenship, record numbers are actually doing so! Renouncing one’s citizenship and leaving the country is called expatriation. Of course many people who […]
C Corp, S Corp, LLC… REIT?
[Update: Did you lose money in a non-traded REIT investment? Visit our REIT fraud page to learn how to recover your losses.] Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT for short) are the newest way some companies are seeking to avoid corporate income tax. According to a story published on June 8th in the Wall Street Journal, […]
Abusive Tax Shelter Results In $100 Million Assessment (IRS Whistleblower Post)
None of us enjoy receiving letters from the IRS. Some might argue and claim a refund is a nice thing to receive from the IRS but those checks come from the U.S. Treasury. While often a letter from the IRS signals an audit or notice saying that you owe more money, former HP board member […]
300 Swiss Banks Debating Settlement WIth The IRS? (FBAR Post)
[With a July 2019 update] According to a wire story from Reuters, the Swiss government is considering a global settlement on behalf of hundreds of Swiss banks. Although the details of the settlement discussions were not revealed, U.S. Justice Department officials and the IRS are not likely to agree on any settlement absent full disclosures […]
Former CPA Gets 3.5 Years in Prison, $100 Million Restitution For Tax Evasion Role
by Brian Mahany A former CPA and banker at Deutsche Bank AG was sentenced to 3-1/5 years and ordered to pay $115,700,000 for his role in helping clients evade taxes. David Parse will have to serve about 3 years before eligible for early release. He was convicted of mail fraud and obstruction charges. Prosecutors say […]
Top Tax Scams – Are You On The IRS' Radar?
by Brian Mahany With just 2 weeks before taxes are due, the IRS has cranked up their publicity machine. Indictments, public service announcements and lots of information. One of the more interesting stories is the IRS “dirty dozen” tax scams. While identity theft occupies the number 1 spot again, several “scams” warrant special mention. Near […]
Charges Against US Lawyer Proceeding – Red Flag For CPAs and Lawyers That Have Clients With Offshore Accounts
[Updated 2021] Previously we reported on California attorney Christopher Rusch after he was indicted and arrested for helping two clients establish unreported foreign accounts. Rusch initially denied the charges but court documents released this month suggest he may have cut a plea deal with prosecutors. The case is being closely watched by those with unreported […]
IRS Whistleblower Receives $38 Million
by Brian Mahany Just last month we posted a story about former UBS banker Bradley Birkenfeld and his $104 million whistleblower award from the IRS. Now one month later the IRS has announced that an unnamed whistleblower received a $38,037,899 award. That’s big news and sure to encourage other whistleblowers to come forward with their […]
Think No One Will Discover Your Offshore Account? Read This!
by Brian Mahany We are never surprised anymore when the feds announce a new wave of indictments against taxpayers with unreported accounts. Until 2008, the IRS didn’t look very hard and prosecutions were few. As the economy has soured, tax authorities around the world have become quite creative in finding new revenue streams. To enforce […]
Does The New FATCA Law Help Foreign Dictators?
by Brian Mahany Most of our posts are designed to help folks understand tax laws and to prevent people becoming victims of fraud. Although we often have strong opinions on tax policy, we try not to politicize this blog. Uncle Sam’s relentless pursuit of unreported foreign bank accounts and offshore income has generated many strong […]