Archive for the ‘Ask the Expert’ Category

Delinquent and Unfiled Tax Returns? 8 Steps to Resolving Them

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

If you have unfiled and delinquent tax returns, you’re probably dreading this tax season; owing back taxes to the IRS is a big burden. Doing nothing to resolve them, however only makes matters worse and more expensive. Even if the IRS isn’t currently knocking on your door to remind you of your tax debt, you are not out of the woods and will need to devise a plan for
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Avoid Tax Scams: Inflated Income and Expenses

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Some taxpayers have a tendency to overstate their income or expenses. The IRS “Dirty Dozen” Tax Scam # 6 – False and Inflated Income and Expenses makes this list annually simply because taxpayers still believe they can get away with it. What many don’t anticipate is that stepped-up IRS scrutiny of their flawed returns will yield not only IRS problems for them but also less money in their pockets as
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Filing Joint Tax Returns? Prevent IRS Problems

Friday, February 24th, 2012

An article in Smart Money Magazine entitled Your Tax-Cheating Spouse May Cost You, considered the benefits of married couples filing joint tax returns. It also discussed what you may want to consider if your spouse was not on the level with “your” previous tax returns. Filing separately from your spouse could prevent IRS problems from occurring in the first place, but in each unique situation this may not be possible.
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Rapper Nas and His Giant IRS Tax Issues

Friday, February 24th, 2012

Weekly, if not daily, there is news of yet another celebrity encountering IRS tax issues. While I stop to mention these stories as a cautionary tale of prevention, I am continually struck by how vulnerable the famous and newly wealthy really are with their finances, especially when it comes to paying their income taxes! I am beginning to think there should be a special course for celebrities to get their
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Five Tips to Resolving Payroll Tax Problems

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Payroll Tax Problem Question:
Our business has done well financially until a year ago when some of our best customers got behind on their payments to us; the crushing blow came when one closed its doors before we could to collect. We are still behind and the loss in income has weakened our business finances so much, we cannot afford to make the payroll tax payments. I’m really worried about
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Avoid the IRS Mess – Fox News Interview

Monday, February 20th, 2012

As we roll into the second half of the month of February, we are most definitely in the full swing of tax season, when the very mention of the words taxes, IRS, and audit can send chills up the spine of even the most cold-blooded American taxpayer. However, if you are willing to put a few simple pieces of advice into practice both before and during tax season, there is
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Tax Help for IRS Scrutiny-Retirement Income

Friday, February 17th, 2012

An MSN article titled IRS Targets Retiree Tax Cheats points to a report from The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Inspection that is critical of how the IRS processes reported retirement income. The report mentions the inspector general’s recommendations for improvements to the process that would provide tax help to the growing number of taxpayers who inadvertently under-report retirement income and end up with hefty IRS penalties and fines.
The Treasury
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Finding Tax Help for IRS Tax Debt

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

Tax day is approaching and Americans like never before, are burdened with tough economic realities that include IRS tax debt they simply can’t pay. Some believe if they do nothing, these tax issues will go away.  Wrong!  Tax debt only grows larger and more stressful over time if not properly dealt with. By not filing a tax return or responding to IRS communication, you could be putting your assets in
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Swiss Bank Wegelin Avoids Court Appearance

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

In a recent post from the ongoing story of the IRS versus Swiss banks, Wegelin & Company and three of its executives were indicted for helping wealthy Americans hide $1.2 Billion in assets from the IRS. Since I wrote that last post, the story has morphed into Wegelin & Co. now facing U.S. criminal charges for their failure to appear in a Manhattan Court to address those charges. As Bloomberg
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Foreclosure Settlement Taxes for Homeowners?

Monday, February 13th, 2012

The nation’s five largest banks negotiated last week with 49 states to pay a total of $26 billion to settle their negligent and abusive foreclosure practices and to change the way they handle foreclosures in the future. A Fox News Cleveland article entitled What the Foreclosure Settlement Means for You addressed this news and how it impacts homeowners.  According to the article, “It’s not clear whether you would have to
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Ask the Certified Tax Specialist – Small Business Back Taxes

Friday, February 10th, 2012

Question:
I have several years of unfiled tax returns and owe around $25 thousand dollars in back taxes to the IRS for my small business. I know I need to take care of this huge burden but I’m overwhelmed, what help is out there get me out of this mess?
Answer:
First, addressing your IRS tax issues right now is the first step towards finding the tax relief you need. There is a
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Michael Rozbruch Interviewed in Opportunist Magazine

Friday, February 10th, 2012

It is always a pleasure to be able to speak to others about the work I do as a tax resolution expert.
I recently had the unique opportunity to be interviewed by Opportunist Magazine’s Managing Editor, Leslie Stone for her article Talking With the Tax Expert-Michael Rozbruch.  She asked about the business of tax resolution, a subject of which I am WELL informed. The questions ranged from how my early business
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Deductions For Business Tax Relief

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

An article in Boston.com called Too Late to Lower Your 2011 Taxes? Not At All listed a few of the deductions a business owner can still take advantage of this year.
Here are three Tax Help Tips that every business owner needs to know about for this tax year:

1. Fund a Retirement Account
You can reduce your 2011 taxes by starting a retirement plan or Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) for you
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Swiss Bank Wegelin Indicted for U.S. Tax Evasion

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

The latest chapter of the IRS versus the Swiss Banks, reveals U.S. Prosecutors taking on the oldest Swiss bank of them all: Wegelin & Co.,
An article in the Wall Street Journal entitled Swiss Bank Wegelin Indicted on U.S. Tax Charges, outlines the criminal charges filed by U.S. Prosecutors on February 2, 2012 against Wegelin & Co., Switzerland’s oldest bank (founded in 1741) alleging that Wegelin knowingly aided wealthy Americans in
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Doctor Sentenced for Failing to File FBAR Reports

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Michael Reiss, New Jersey doctor, professor and medical researcher, was sentenced on January 11, 2012 for failing to report his offshore (UBS) bank accounts. According to the IRS, Reiss was sentenced to eight months in a community confinement center for failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) with the IRS. Reiss pleaded guilty in August 2011 and agreed to pay back taxes of at least $400,000
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