“Will I get caught?” is one of the most common questions asked by potential tax cheats. The temptation to cheat the IRS is overwhelming for thousands of Americans. While no one knows whether and when they will be caught, the IRS has become much better at finding those who evade taxes. One of the best […]
Lawyers As Whistleblowers – An Ethical Conundrum
[Updated June 2020] Lawyers have a duty to protect their clients. Under our legal system, even the worst and most depraved criminals are entitled to legal representation. Our Founding Fathers wisely decided that the right to counsel was so important, that it needed to be part of the constitution and protected for all time’s sake. […]
Captives and Life Insurance – A Deadly Combination
We have posted several articles on captive insurance fraud and each one has prompted a certain amount of controversy. That’s good because it get people thinking. Unfortunately, as fraud recovery lawyers, we see cases where investors lost battles with the IRS over captive insurance programs. Even worse, we often see captive insurance programs that are […]
Cayman Banks To Disclose Info – IRS Whistleblower Post
[Post Updated 2020] U.S. taxpayers are required to report offshore financial holdings. This includes bank accounts, certificates of deposit, offshore brokerage accounts and even some life insurance products. Reporting is done annually on a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, more commonly known as an FBAR form. (Depending on how those assets are held, […]
Bad Tax Policy – California's Retroactive Tax Levy
We represent many businesses – everything from local “mom and pops” to a Fortune 150 company. What is the single biggest problem facing such a diverse group of business taxpayers? Bad tax policy; especially the lack of predictability and consistency. If you ask the general public what’s wrong with the tax system you are likely […]
FBAR Post – IRS Crackdown on Foreign Retirement Plans
Bloomberg reports the IRS is setting its sights on unreported foreign retirement plans. Most of the world is finally catching on that the IRS is serious about unreported offshore bank accounts. Many other countries are racing towards greater exchange of financial information and transparency too. Unfortunately, compliance remains very low when dealing with foreign retirement […]
Offshore Tax Evasion Update – By The Numbers
We frequently post stories about both Americans and foreign bankers prosecuted for tax evasion involving unreported offshore accounts. U.S. taxpayers are usually prosecuted for filing a false tax return (a 3 year felony) or failure to file an FBAR (5 years). Bankers, lawyers and accountants associated with these taxpayers are frequently charged with conspiracy to […]
Rules For Expatriation? How About An Exit Tax!
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 […]
Tax Evasion Update – HSBC Whistleblower In High Demand
Twice before we wrote about Herve Falciani, a former computer specialist for HSBC bank in Switzerland. Falciani is a fugitive from Swiss authorities but welcomed in other European countries. Why? Because he allegedly stole the names of 130,000 client names from his former employer; names that are probably responsible for billions in unreported foreign accounts and […]
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 […]