Tax Law BlogPage 14 of 28
Expert insights on IRS tax resolution, criminal tax defense, and compliance from our attorneys.
Down for the Count
Rocky Tingler, owner of McWilliams Building & Construction in West Virginia, pleaded guilty to understating the gross sales on his 2015 tax return by more than $988,000. He also admitted that in the third quarter of 2014 he collected $790 in federal income tax from his employees when the amount shou
Stormy Outlook for Attorney Michael Avenatti
Michael Avenatti became a household name as the attorney representing former adult film star Stormy Daniels in her case against President Donald Trump. But Avenatti’s most recent notoriety is strictly of his own doing. During a California Bar Association disciplinary hearing over allegations that he
A Very Bad Day in Court
New Jersey tax preparer Brian Day pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns and bank fraud in a scheme to misappropriate clients’ money and defraud the IRS. Day told his clients that they owed more money to the IRS than they actually did. He instructed them to write checks made out to the IRS […]
Making a Profit from a Non-Profit
Movita Johnson-Harrell, a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, has resigned from office after being accused of using funds for personal items from a non-profit she created to help people struggling with addiction, poverty and mental illness. She founded the non-profit, Motivations, E
Multiple Businesses, Multiple States Multiple Prison Sentences
Vincent Celentano, the owner of several businesses in Florida and Michigan, has been indicted for tax evasion, employment tax fraud and other tax crimes. Celentano is accused of using more than $360,000 from his businesses’ bank accounts to pay for personal expenses, including credit card payments a
At Loggerheads with the IRS
For more than 20 years, Denver resident, Lawrence Martin Birk, failed to pay federal income taxes. It wasn’t until the IRS began collection efforts that the owner of Terryall River Log Homes, which built and sold log homes, hired a tax firm to prepare eight years of returns. However, Birk left out a
Unspeakable Lack of Vision
Robert Lawrence Gazdick, Jr., the owner of an audio-visual equipment rental business in Virginia pleaded guilty to tax fraud for failing to pay payroll taxes for his employees from 2013 to 2018. Gazdick deducted the taxes from his employees’ paychecks but failed to pay the funds to the IRS. In total
CPA Gambled Using Rich and Famous Client’s Money
A gambling addiction led Los Angeles CPA Jonathan Schwartz, the business manager for Alanis Morissette and other well-known performers and athletes, to steal more than seven million dollars from his clients’ accounts. Schwartz had access to his clients’ bank accounts to pay their bills and get cas
Your IRS Questions Answered Here…
Question: I own a small business and in order to keep afloat, I did not pay the IRS for my employee’s withholding taxes for a few years. How much trouble will I be in? Answer: Owing 941 payroll taxes is very different than owing personal 1040 income taxes. Not only can the IRS shut […]
Your IRS Questions Answered Here…
Question: I received a notice from the IRS because I did not have the funds to pay the tax I owed on my 2017 income tax return. I also was late in filing my tax return. Not only is the IRS demanding the tax I owe, but they have slapped on these huge amounts for […]
Easy Come Easy Go
A 29-year-old Florida man submitted a false tax return to the IRS in 2016 and got a refund check for $980,000. Ramon Christopher Barnett claimed $18,497 in income, $47,357 in deductions, and one million dollars in income tax credit withholding. His return included a fictitious attachment that contai
Temp Agency Owner May Find Himself Temporarily in Jail
California business owner, Luis Perez, has been charged with tax evasion for failing to pay almost 30 million dollars in wages he withheld from employee paychecks. Perez, the owner of four staffing agencies, deducted the taxes from his employees’ paychecks but failed to pay the money to the IRS. The
Credit Union CEO Credited with Shutting Down CBS Credit Union
Longtime CEO of the CBS Employee Credit Union, Edward Rostohar, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for embezzling 40 million dollars over a 20-year period. Rostohar left the credit union insolvent, and it was absorbed by University Credit Union, which took over all 2,800 accounts. Rostohar claimed
With a Middle Name Like Prosper…
A Nigerian national living in Missouri was sentenced to four years and three months in prison without parole for filing false tax returns and for his part in various Internet scams that defrauded victims. Segun Prosper Otaru, 27, was ordered to pay $26,056 in restitution and the same amount to the g
Scammers’ Target Gets Target to Help Catch Them
Two Los Angeles women, Ailing Lu and Ji Hyun Lee, both 25, are in jail and facing criminal charges as a result of an IRS scam that netted them thousands of dollars. The women were caught after one of their victims reported the fraud to the police. The victim said he received a call from […]
This Isn’t Child’s Play; Baltimore Mayor Didn’t Go by the Book
Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has been indicted for committing fraud, evading federal taxes and illegally boosting her political campaign in association with a series of children’s books she self-published. Pugh, 69, is alleged to have sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of her Healt
Your IRS Questions Answered Here…
Question: I’m currently separated from my spouse, who owns his own business, and we are in the process of getting a divorce. I have always filed jointly with my spouse and now the IRS is sending me notices stating I owe $67,000. I have no idea how they are coming up with this amount as […]
Unusual Taxes Throughout History All Over the World
In ancient Egypt people were taxed on purchasing cooking oil. They were also forbidden from using the oil more than once. During the Middle Ages, European governments taxed soap. This law stayed in effect for years to come, with Great Britain taxing soap until 1835. Russian Emperor Peter the Great p
Like Father Like Son Land Both in Jail
George Bussanich Sr., and his son George Bussanich Jr., of New Jersey both pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to one count of tax evasion. Bussanich Sr. also pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy. Between 2009 and 2012 the Bussaniches’ conspired to defraud mortgage lenders though
Did You Know…
Most know that the hit Broadway musical Hamilton is based on Alexander Hamilton who was one of the first founding fathers, the first United States Secretary of Treasury and is on the $10 bill. Here are some fun facts about Hamilton that you might not know: He probably lied about his age. He never li
The Second Time Around Isn’t Always Better Than the First
Self-employed Contractor, Timothy Blackman, formerly from Auburn, New York, pleaded guilty in Federal court in Syracuse to filing a false tax return on October 2019. Blackman who provided construction and remodeling services to customers, failed to file and pay income taxes for the years 2007 throug
You Better Watch Out— The IRS (Not Santa) is Coming to Town!
IRS Deputy Commissioner Darren Guillot recently spoke at a conference of CPA’s, Attorneys and EA’s and said, “Enforcement is coming”. Enforcement is when the IRS can take your belongings by force. This includes taking the money out of your bank account. garnishing your paycheck or putting a lien on
Former NBA Player C. Tate George Cries Foul Play for IRS Bill
Former NBA player C. Tate George, who is serving time in prison for orchestrating a $2 million plus Ponzi scheme, failed to file his tax return in 2013, so the IRS did it for him. In 2013 George received a $208,111 pension distribution from the NBA. The Tax Court ruled that he owed the IRS […]
Your IRS Questions Answered Here…
Question: I’ve finally decided to seek help from a Tax Professional who specializes in Tax Problem Resolution. I want to start getting my paperwork together for the appointment; what will I need to bring with me? Answer: It’s very important to have your documentation with you for the initial intervi
The IRS Motto
Provide America’s taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all. This mission statement describes our role and the public’s expectation about how we should perform that role.
Houston Attorney Tries to Outsmart the IRS and Loses
Jack Stephen Pursely, an attorney from Houston, TX, was convicted of three counts of tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in September. According to evidence shown during the trial, Pursely conspired with a former client to move more than $18 million the client had ea
Pediatric Office Manager Finds Out the IRS Isn’t Kidding Around
Terra Ferguson, from New London, NC, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of failing to collect, account, or pay for payroll taxes. Court documents indicate that from 1992 through September 2016, Ferguson, was employed as the office manager at a pediatric office, w
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