Atkins Law Firm, P. A. » IRS News

Avoid the Failure to File Penalty by Filing Your Returns On Time Today!

Tripp — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:38:10 +0000

Just a friendly reminder that today is Tax Day in the the U.S. Today is the deadline to file your individual income tax return or your extension. Just remember that if you file an extension that that is only an extension of time to file your tax return but not an extension of time to pay your tax liability. So if you are going to owe you need to get that check postmarked and mailed today.

Also, remember that if you owe and cannot afford to pay the tax, you should go ahead and file your income tax return to save on the failure to file penalty that can be up to 25% of the tax you owe. Simply by filing the tax return you save this penalty and increase the amount of money that you keep in your pocket.

Sorry – You Can’t Sell Your Tax Fraud/Evasion Guides & Schemes

Tripp — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:04:29 +0000

A federal judge in Las Vegas ruled yesterday convicted tax fraudster Irwin Schiff (and his partner Cynthia Neun) could no longer sell his products that promote people not filing or paying their income taxes while he is in prison or when he is released in the future. One of Schiff’s titles include: “The Federal Mafia: How the Government Illegally Imposes and Unlawfully Collects Income Taxes.”

I represent many people before the IRS and have found that the IRS has absolutely no patience or compassion on those that are involved in these tax schemes and especially not for the people who promote these schemes. I have met with several people that have asked me to represent them because the federal income tax in unconstitutional and they have asked me to provide them common law and case law citations of where they are required to file a federal income tax return.

While I too would like to pay as little tax as possible, these arguments do not hold water when dealing with the IRS or while in court. If you owe the IRS because you have not filed your tax returns or paid taxes because of a fraudulent scheme, I would recommend that you immediately prepare your tax returns. The IRS will not work with you until those returns are filed and there are several things you can do to settle you taxes as long as you are not being criminally prosecuted for tax fraud or evasion.

Check out this site to learn more about the offer in compromise program and the other ways to settle your tax liability – legally – with the IRS.

Federal Employees Owe the Boss

Tripp — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:34:22 +0000

Most of my clients are small business owners and individuals who are getting “beat-up” by the IRS for the taxes they owe. They are constantly berated by the IRS employees they speak to on the telephone for not paying their taxes – no matter what the reason. Now, I understand it is the law that you have to pay your taxes and I pay my fair share. That’s not the point. The point is that these people who have opted to take the security of a government job take pot shots at other Americans who are taking risks, creating businesses, creating jobs and income, and more revenue for Uncle Sam. Sometimes there is a good reason that they are behind in their taxes. There are very few people who actually hire an attorney to represent them in resolving their tax liability that actually feel like they do not owe the money. Most of my clients say they owe the money, they just want to pay their fair share and not the penalties and interest that accrue at mobster-like paces.

I came across this article on FoxNews.com about Federal employees not paying their taxes. How about that as a theory for the tax gap that is constantly blamed on American small business owners? The article states that $3.5 Billion dollars was unpaid from Federal government employees and retirees last year.