Shenita Nicole James, 33, of Montgomery, Ala., pleaded guilty to preparing and filing false and fraudulent federal income tax returns. James was employed as an office manager and income tax preparer at We Finance Auto Sales in Montgomery in 2008 and 2009. We Finance Auto Sales prepared income tax returns for individuals who could choose to use their tax refunds to purchase or make down payments for automobiles.
On or about
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Its Friday, and that means time for my weekly tax news round up. Here’s a look at some of the IRS and tax related stories that caught my eye this week.
Lets begin with one of my favorite topics: Avoiding an IRS Audit.
Being audited by the IRS is no laughing matter and I want to help taxpayers avoid it whenever possible. I was very happy to be quoted in How to
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Parents of children and those with dependents should keep in mind the tax relief benefits and deductions available to them this tax season. The IRS has issued a brief reminder to all parents to keep these tax relief tips in mind as they file their 2011 taxes:

Dependents: You can start claiming a child as a dependent the year they are born, so if you gave birth to little bundle in
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The IRS is issuing information to all taxpayers to stay on the lookout for fraudulent emails and correspondences claiming to be the IRS this tax season. Each year the IRS receives thousands of reports about suspicious calls, emails, faxes and notices claiming to be from the IRS. The goal of these fraudulent notices is an attempt to collect your personal information for identity theft or to take your money!
The IRS
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As we move into tax season it is important to stay up to date and educated on the current regulations and laws surrounding taxes. By staying educated on important tax issues you can help keep yourself out of future IRS tax problems such as back taxes and tax liens.
To help make the tax process easier for small businesses and the self-employed the IRS has created a tax center on their
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported 12 natural disasters in 2011 that each caused more than $1 billion in damages, ranging from Hurricane Irene, to severe wildfires, tornadoes and flooding.  As the victims of these disasters rebuild their lives from utter destruction, this tax season many are receiving IRS tax help.
USA Today’s article Tax Relief Possible for Losses in Natural Disasters reports the good news that taxpayers affected
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A lawyer in Port Huron, Mich., was sentenced to 24 months in prison for tax evasion.
David Douglas Black, 49, owner of Black, Black and Black law firm also was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay a special assessment of $100.
According to court records, during the 2004 tax year, Black diverted income from his law firm by using checks made out to him, his wife or
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I was recently quoted in the US News World and Report on the topic of How to Avoid an IRS Audit.
As I said in the article, few Americans are subject to a second look from the IRS.   Audits are one of the few times that having an average salary is an advantage.  Only about 1.1 percent of people who file a 1040 [the most common tax return] for the
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A Colorado Springs, Colo., couple were sentenced to criminal obstruction and filing false income tax returns.
Gary Neuger, 56, was sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, along with paying $393,791.20 in restitution to the IRS. Beth Neuger, 54 and Gary’s wife, was sentenced to serve three years of probation, with the first 10 months in home detention.  She was also ordered to pay
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Self-employment can be a liberating experience. You get to make your own rules, work your own hours and say goodbye to the horrors of a demanding boss. With this freedom comes responsibility and handling all your business affairs now solely rests on your shoulders, including paying your own taxes. A recent Ledyard-Patch article entitled Self-Employed? IRS Says You Should Read This reminds us that the self-employed are urged to get
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An article in Bloomberg entitled IRS Called Easy on Criminal Tax Evaders in Watchdog’s Critique outlines Nina Olson of the National Taxpayer Advocate’s concerns that intentional tax evaders get more IRS help than those who weren’t intending to hide money from the U.S. government. Olson warns that future IRS collection efforts could be jeopardized due to confusion over the treatment of accidental tax evaders.

The IRS sees
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Every month Tax Resolution Services chooses a very special Tax Client Of The Month.  It’s our way of acknowledging good friends and saying “thanks” to those who support Tax Resolution Services with referrals, word of mouth and repeat business.
This month’s Tax Client Of The Month is Mr. Joe F.
Mr. Joe F. owed the IRS $16,000 in back taxes when he sought help.  After several months of negotiations, we were able
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Another big week in tax relief and IRS news!  Here is my weekly round up of the stories that caught my eye this week:
Lets begin with my favorite post this week: My Best Tax Advice Ever, Part III: Make Friends With a Tax Pro, In this piece, Kelly Phillips Erb shares some great tips in choosing a tax professional.
In Taxpayer Advocate Service News:
When Nina Olson, head of The Taxpayer Advocate Service
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While cutting government spending is often seen as a good thing, in the case of the IRS, it may be having the opposite effect. Forbes featured an article IRS Advocate: New Taxpayer Rights Crisis Is Brewing highlighting the release of a recent annual report to Congress by National Taxpayer Advocate, Nina E. Olson. Olson, known for being one of Washington’s most outspoken officials, states her concerns for current IRS policies
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Question: I’ve likely waited way too long, but now that we’re into 2012, I really want to get a handle on my tax debt. In fact, I want to eliminate my tax debt. What advice do you have for me?

Answer: The first thing you should do — and you should do this immediately — is visit a qualified tax professional. He or she will discuss with you your current
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