The IRS is busy scrutinizing the hallowed halls of higher education. A recent article written by Michael McDonald of Bloomberg News, reports on IRS’ stepped up enforcement of non-profit colleges and universities across America to properly report income from all revenue streams. The American academic community is seeing first-hand the strong arm tactics of the IRS including the beloved Harvard University and the hotel it owns overlooking the Charles River.
Universities
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I thought we’d take a literary detour from tax resolution for a moment to point out two novels written this year (just in time for the holidays) that feature a character we are all familiar with: the IRS. The novels: “Ghost Lights” by Lydia Millet and “The Pale King” by the late David Foster Wallace, feature main characters who work in or around the IRS in rote, overly analytical duties
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The IRS has temporarily suspended its controversial plan to fingerprint tax preparers in large part due to objections raised by the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA). An excerpt from Accounting Today’s article, IRS Delays Tax Preparer Fingerprinting Requirements, shows IRS chief Doug Schulman, acknowledging  they got the message and have decided “to hold off fingerprinting” while they consider all the information received by “interested parties.”  The AICPA letter to the
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If you are considering seeking expert tax help for your back taxes or IRS problems, you might be feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of tax attorny and tax relief agencies available. Don’t rush into selecting the first tax resolution service that claims to rid you of your IRS debt for life. That is probably a scam and could cost you a lot more in addition to what you already
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In recent tax relief news, the IRS has announced that interest rates for overpayment on estimated taxes and underpayment of income taxes will remain the same for the first quarter of 2012. It is important to make sure you talk with your tax professional about what this can mean for you. Outlined below are the guidelines for the interest rates for both individuals and corporations provided by the Internal Revenue
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The IRS is seeking to return $153 million in undelivered tax refund checks to taxpayers in 2011. A total of 99,123 taxpayers are owed checks, averaging at total of $1547 per check, due to mailing address errors!
If you are one of the taxpayers still waiting to receive your tax relief refund, follow these steps provided by the IRS to get your earned income back where it belongs and how to
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If you are a current college student or are considering going back to school to further your education you must know that higher education is expensive. You might be surprised to hear that there is some help in regards to taxes. Students actually have a variety of tax credits available to them, if they know where to look. We recently recommended a comprehensive article by Laura Saunders of the Wall Street
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A recent article in Forbes, Officers of Non-profits Face Personal Liabilities for Taxes by Robert Wood made me think about small business, specifically the people behind non-profit organizations (NPO). The well-meaning people who set up NPO’s provide the community at large with charitable programs and services that are usually educational, literary, religious, or scientific in nature. In return, non-profits receive tax-exempt status. By not focusing on putting profits in shareholders
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As a certified tax resolution specialist, I have said it many times before; it never pays to hide from the IRS. Nowhere is that more apparent than with the government crackdown on off-shore tax evaders. The creation in 2010 of Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) set into motion serious U.S. efforts to combat tax evasion by U.S. taxpayers with investments in offshore accounts. Not only do FATCA regulations have
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In recent Credit Sussie news, the Swiss bank accused of aiding Americans in cheating taxes with offshore accounts is seeking a dismissal of their indictment by the Justice Department.
In an article by David Voreacos titled Credit Sussie Bankers Said to Seek Dismissal of U.S. Indictment on Bloomberg, Voresacos discusses the bank’s current predicament and the chances of a dismissal of the indictment. According to the article, Credit Sussie is cooperating
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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  With the holidays upon us, our attention shifts to spending more quality time with family and friends. As you take time off at the end of the year, it can be a great opportunity to do a little preparing for the new tax season just around the corner. The first order of business should be to protect your important documents by completing the
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It is always important to keep yourself educated and up to date on current tax changes and laws to make sure you stay out of problems with the IRS before they occur. The same holds true when it comes to picking your tax professional or tax attorney. Take the time to make sure that he or she is certified and can provide recommendations.
To help keep the tax preparation industry in
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As 2011 slowly draws to a close, the IRS wants to remind homeowners that there is still time in the year to take advantage of the tax relief of home energy credits. The Nonbusiness Energy Property Credit is available for homeowners who have installed or are installing energy efficiency improvements to their home before the close of the year. Installations such as new windows, insulation and furnaces can help qualify
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In 2012 changes in inflation will be reflected in available deductions, meaning additional tax relief for taxpayers. Tom Herman of the Wall Street Journal wrote a brief article titled A Little Dose of Relief in 2012 outlining some of the tax expenditure changes we can expect in the next year. Below are three deductions the IRS recently made announcements about for  2012:

Standard Deduction: The basic standard deduction for single individuals
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College can be costly. Fortunately there is help in the form of tax relief for many students. As the economy struggles, and unemployment hovers around 9%, many people are turning to school as a chance to improve skills to get the jobs that are available. Laura Saunders of the Wall Street Journal offers great advice to students, young and old, who are in need of serious tax relief in her
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