I wrote this latest press release after reading a CNN Money article titled “Spending cut bright spot: Fewer IRS audits.” I needed to dispute the article’s assertion that there would be fewer questioned tax returns as a result of the sequestering budget by Congress. The CNN article states that over $600 million in cuts to the IRS could result in IRS employee layoffs including examiners who audit tax returns. I agree
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This was a short, yet busy week for tax relief news. Stories ranged from celebrity tax woes and prison sentences for tax evaders to tax tips and benefits for military personnel.
Actor Chris Tucker Pays Nearly $1 Million toward Tax Debt – Chris Tucker has been in the spotlight over the last few years, not so much for his talent but sadly, for his huge $12 million tax debt. A recent
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It appears actor and comedian, Chris Tucker is taking a bite out of his huge $12 million dollar tax debt. According to a TMZ.com article titled: “Chris Tucker’s Tax Debt – $1,000,000 Down, 12 More to Go!“, it seems that the actor recently wrote checks totaling $985.028.98 to pay off two Georgia state tax liens: one for $592,594.82 for tax year 2007 and $392,332.16 for tax year 2006.
We reported in
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An Arizona woman will spend the next 30 months in federal prison after admitting that she and others conspired to defraud the U.S. government by filing false tax returns that wrongly claimed refunds.
Shaneika Earline Sims, 30, of Casa Grande, Arizona, must also pay $403,002 in restitution and, upon completion of her prison time, serve a 36-month term of supervised release.
Sims and others filed at least 150 false federal individual income
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A Kentucky construction company owner pleaded guilty to evading payment of $177,634 in federal income taxes due for the tax years 1999 through 2001.
Darrell Mathis, of Warren County, Kentucky, and owner of Tri-State Construction, falsely submitted an IRS Offer in Compromise form in which he concealed his personal assets, including vehicles and boats, and ownership of his business, Tri-State Construction.
Mathis concealed his ownership in the company from the IRS by
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Memorial Day gives us a chance to honor military personnel for their service and sacrifice. It also allows tax professionals the opportunity to remind service members of the tax benefits they are entitled to. A recent article from Don’t Mess with Taxes titled,”Memorial Day 2013: Remembering those who gave all, offering some tax help for those still giving“ provides tax tips using the IRS Publication 3, Armed Forces Tax Guide. Here are
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An Alabama man was indicted for his part in a scheme to collect millions of dollars from the Internal Revenue Service using false tax returns.
Douglas Ervin Dent, 66, of Birmingham, Alabama, allegedly filed 20 false income tax returns in his own name and on behalf of others between April 2008 and October 2009. Dent knew that he and the other taxpayers were not entitled to the $6.2 million in refunds
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A husband and wife from Greer, South Carolina, were sentenced for filing false tax returns. Julie Greene Tucker, 52, received 33 months in prison and her husband, James Dean Tucker, 54, received eight months of house arrest and five years of probation. The Tuckers were ordered to pay $191,049 restitution to IRS. Julie Tucker embezzled from her employer and did not report the money as income.

Tax evasion is not just a problem for the wealthy. It’s a widespread issue that costs the government and honest Americans much needed revenues. Small businesses and sole proprietors are the largest contributors to the $450 billion tax gap (the difference between taxes reported and taxes paid) by skimming and under reporting their taxes. For their efforts, tax cheats are the focus of IRS scrutiny.
With IRS audits and aggressive IRS
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A Kansas man who owned a strip club received three years of federal probation for filing false tax returns and underpaying his federal income taxes.
Kirk Roberts, 49, Salina, Kansas, was also ordered to pay $153,510, the full amount of taxes he owes.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of filing false income tax returns for tax years 2006, 2007 and 2008. In his plea, he admitted that while he was the
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It’s pretty clear Beyonce’s former manager and father, Mathew Knowles knows a thing or two about managing a superstar. However, it appears he’s less knowledgeable about what it means to owe back taxes to Uncle Sam. According to a Source article titled: “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems! Mathew Knowles Owes 1.2 Mil In Taxes“, Knowles, who failed to pay his taxes during 2010 and 2011, has now received a huge tax
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The stories that caught our attention this week ranged from tax evasion and fraud, to how the Offer in Compromise Program can help consumers, erasing tax debt in bankruptcy to the increase in IRS criminal investigations to the IRS under intense scrutiny.

The IRS Gets Scrutinized – By far the biggest IRS story this week revolved around the IRS itself! The agency is being closely examined for unfairly targeting conservative
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A Louisiana lawyer pleaded guilty to making false, fictitious and fraudulent claims to the Internal Revenue Service in an attempt to receive more than $9.7 million in tax refunds.
According to court records, Francis C. Broussard, 53, of West Monroe, Louisiana, had his accountant prepare his 2005 through 2007 tax returns — but Broussard never filed them.
In 2009, Broussard went to a different tax preparer to have his personal tax returns
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Question: I owe a lot of money to the IRS, and having just filed my taxes for 2012, I owe even more! I need to do something, and soon. How do I know if I qualify for the Offer in Compromise program?

Answer: The Offer in Compromise is a great program for consumers who owe a substantial amount to the IRS but who cannot pay off their tax debt, even
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Question: I am filing bankruptcy to get out from underneath debt brought on by some bad financial decisions. Can I discharge in bankruptcy the IRS back taxes I owe for tax years 2008 and 2009 that amount to roughly $25,000? I am struggling financially to pay off all the debt I incurred in this mess but am particularly overwhelmed with the tax debt. Do I have any chance at tax
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