Target: Los Angeles, California – Think You Can Hide From The IRS? 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles is taking on a pilot project to pin-point their investigations to the wealthiest zip codes in the L.A. metro area. The idea being that anyone who is selected for investigation in these areas will result in a higher tax liability than those who live in less affluent areas. The government is looking for non-filers, persons engaged in on-line and virtual currency transactions and businesses cheating or delinquent on employment taxes.

Non-Filers

When a taxpayer does not file and the IRS has information statements indicating a filing requirement, the IRS uses the data to file a return on behalf of the taxpayer if there is a projected balance owed. In 2012, the IRS used information statements to file 803,000 returns for taxpayers under the Automated Substitute For Return Program, totaling $6.7 billion in additional taxes owed. And the sad thing about this is in just about every case, the amount actually owed when a tax return is filed by the taxpayer is much lower than what the IRS says a non-filer taxpayer owes. We even had cases where the IRS ended up owing our clients money.

Before contacting a non-filer, the IRS will often attempt to identify the non-filer’s occupation, location of bank/savings accounts, sources of income, age, current address, last file return, adjusted gross income of last filed return, taxes paid on last filed return – amounts and methods of payment (withholding, estimated tax, pre-payments), number of years delinquent, and the non-filer’s standard of living.  They will search public records for evidence of additional unreported income, tax assessor and real estate records for assets held by the non-filer, and records of professional associations and business license bureaus for information on businesses being operated by the non-filer. They will also search sales tax returns and the state records to disclose corporate charter information including principals of any businesses that have failed to file returns. They will contact the last known employer to determine if the non-filer is still employed and the specific occupation of the non-filer.  

It is to those individuals, who deliberately fail to comply with their obligation to file required tax returns and pay any taxes due and owing, that IRS Criminal Investigation devotes its investigative resources.  In the most egregious cases or if the Special Agent discovers subsequent acts of tax evasion (false statements, refusal to make records available, etc.), criminal prosecution is recommended to the United States Attorney’s office.

On-line And Virtual Currency Transactions

The increased use of on-line transactions with such services that include but are no limited to eBay and Craigslist and the increased use of virtual currencies such as Bitcoins have also raised interest by the Department Of Justice.

Many people think of online auction sites, such as eBay and Craigslist, as virtual garage sales — a convenient way to clean out cluttered closets and attics stuffed with old clothes, books and knickknacks inherited from relatives.

But if you’re a frequent or big-time seller, the government might consider your proceeds to be income and could come after you for taxes.

The tax law requires the gross amount of payment card and third-party network transactions to be reported annually to participating merchants and the IRS. With this information the IRS can now track your sales and make sure they are being reported on your individual income tax return.

Bitcoins, a widely used virtual currency, are an alternative to money online. Unlike regular money, Bitcoins are not backed by any government or company. The currency is circulated without intermediaries such as banks. As such the government believes that taxpayers are able to avoid reporting income using this currency,

The IRS Criminal Investigation Division has committed a team of IRS Special Agents to master Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. The IRS knows that to use Bitcoins, one needs a virtual wallet along with private keys and public addresses.  Unknown to many Bitcoin users is the fact that every Bitcoin transaction is included in a ledger called a block chain.

The IRS is simply accessing the block chain to review all Bitcoin transactions.  From that point, the IRS works its way back to the public address that was used in the Bitcoin transaction. While the public address itself does not identify the user, the IRS has been very clever in associating the public address with the identity of the Bitcoin user. Thus, Bitcoin and other cyber or crypto currencies do not provide the level of complete anonymity many have ascribed to crypto currencies.

While the IRS has been focusing on the use of virtual currencies and crypto currencies in money laundering cases, the IRS is now focusing on the ability and likelihood that some users are committing tax evasion and tax fraud with virtual currencies. This is especially true because large amounts of virtual currency can change hands anywhere in the world instantaneously. Used correctly, it is another financial tool in our ever-shrinking world.  Used incorrectly, it is a very dangerous tool for those with a leaning towards and involved in illegal activities including tax evasion.

Employment Taxes

The IRS is especially vigorous in going after payroll taxes withheld from wages that somehow don’t get paid to the government.  The IRS calls it trust fund money that belongs to the government.

That makes any failure to pay—or even late payment—much worse. 

In fact, that’s so regardless of how the employer or its principals use the money and regardless of how good a reason they have for not handing the money over to the IRS. When a tax shortfall occurs in this setting, the IRS will usually make personal assessments against all responsible persons who have an ownership interest in the company or signature authority over the company accounts.

The practice the government is going after is sometimes called “pyramiding”. The Department of Justice defined pyramiding where the business has made minimal payments of its tax debts and that attempts to induce voluntary compliance failed. To stop the bleeding in a case like this, the Justice Department can seek an injunction to require a company and its principals to make timely tax deposits, to pay all withheld employment taxes, and to timely file all employment tax returns.

The IRS can assess a Trust Fund Recovery Assessment, also known as a 100-percent penalty, against every “responsible person”. The penalty is assessed under Section 6672(a) of the tax code, and the IRS uses it liberally. You can be responsible and therefore liable even if have no knowledge that the IRS is not being paid. If there are multiple owners, multiple officers, multiple check signers, they all may draw a 100% penalty assessment.

When multiple owners and signatories all face tax bills they generally squabble and do their best to sic the IRS on someone else. Factual nuances matter in this kind of mud-wrestling, but so do legal maneuvering and just plain savvy. One responsible person may get stuck paying while another who is even guiltier may get off scot-free.

If the IRS is going after individuals, the IRS will still try to collect from the company that withheld on the wages. The IRS also wants to make sure this kind of bad tax situation doesn’t occur again and the IRS wants to collect as much money as quick as possible from as many parties as it can get to.

Where Do The Highest Earners Live In The L.A. Area?

Given the resources involved in any criminal tax investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles is looking to focus on those areas that are more affluent and therefore yield the greatest potential for prosecution and revenue collection.

Rank

Zip Code

Neighborhood(s)

Home value (median) 2011

Household income (median) 2011

Total local bank deposits

1 90077 South Valley, Bel Air, Beverly Glen, Westwood, Holmby Hills

$1,000,000

$208,493

$99,573,000

2 90049 South Valley, Bel Air, Sawtelle, Brentwood, Westwood, Mid-City, Northeast, Mandeville Canyon

$1,000,000

$191,302

$1,516,866,000

3 90094 Marina Del Rey, Westchester, Playa Vista

$680,000

$172,813

$35,774,000

4 90024 West, Westwood Village, Westwood, Holmby Hills, Century City

$979,000

$156,511

$2,510,621,000

5 90064 West, Mar Vista, Sawtelle, Beverlywood, Westwood, Cheviot Hills, Rancho Park, Sunset Park, Century City

$933,500

$143,472

$2,175,029,000

6 90046 Central LA, Melrose, Hollywood Hills, Studio City, Little Armenia, Sunset Strip, East Hollywood, Laurel Canyon, Beverly Grove

$1,000,000

$136,875

$683,273,000

7 90068 Central LA, Hollywood Hills, Studio City, Greater Wilshire / Hancock Park, Los Feliz, Little Armenia

$1,000,000

$133,068

$683,273,000

8 90048 Central LA, Melrose, Mid City, Carthay Circle, La Brea, Mid-Wilshire, Beverly Grove

$978,600

$130,984

$869,973,000

9 90056 South, Ladera Heights

$801,000

$128,245

$102,201,000

10 90045 Westchester, North Valley, South Valley, North Hills East, Fox Hills

$720,600

$128,216

$1,190,694,000

11 90035 Central LA, Mid City, Pico – Robertson, Beverlywood, Cheviot Hills

$886,700

$127,402

$795,173,000

12 90066 Marina Del Rey, Westchester, Mar Vista, McLaughlin, Culver – West, Venice

$778,400

$121,828

$491,655,000

13 90025 West, Sawtelle, Central LA, Wilshire Center / Koreatown, Brentwood, Westwood Village, Westwood, Mid-City, Pico, Century City, East Hollywood

$684,500

$121,343

$2,065,874,000

14 90027 Central LA, Atwater Village, Wilshire Center / Koreatown, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Little Armenia, Koreatown, Warner Bros. Studios, East Hollywood

$832,700

$121,314

$954,774,000

15 90034 Central LA, Mid City, Pico – Robertson, Beverlywood, Cheviot Hills, Art District, McManus, Lucerne – Higuera

$687,400

$118,925

$113,462,000

16 90028 Central LA, Hollywood Hills, Greater Wilshire / Hancock Park, Little Armenia

$756,900

$114,306

$850,817,000

17 90036 Central LA, Melrose, Mid City, Greater Wilshire / Hancock Park, Carthay Circle, La Brea, Miracle Mile, Mid-Wilshire, Beverly Grove

$989,200

$113,125

$2,197,367,000

18 90005 South, Central LA, Wilshire Center / Koreatown, Mid City, Greater Wilshire / Hancock Park, Rampart Village, Koreatown, Wilshire Center

$624,500

$105,156

$302,736,000

19 90015 South, Downtown, Central LA, Westlake, New Downtown, Fashion District, Venice

$478,600

$105,052

$1,043,868,000

20 90039 Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, North Hollywood, Los Feliz

$668,800

$104,031

$620,875,000

21 90004 Central LA, Wilshire Center / Koreatown, Greater Wilshire / Hancock Park, Rampart Village, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Koreatown, Wilshire Center, East Hollywood

$856,900

$102,681

$784,359,000

22 90065 Eagle Rock, Cypress Park, Glassell Park, Atwater Village, Highland Park, Chinatown, Mount Washington

$527,500

$98,824

$9,852,000

23 90012 Downtown, Central LA, Boyle Heights, Westlake, New Downtown, Civic Center / Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Echo Park, Bunker Hill

$413,500

$92,969

$2,550,146,000

24 90041 Eagle Rock, East LA, North Arroyo

$589,000

$92,138

$466,909,000

25 90017 Downtown, Central LA, Wilshire Center / Koreatown, Westlake, New Downtown, Miracle Mile, Koreatown, Venice, Wilshire Center

$507,900

$91,563

$15,996,167,000

The Stakes Are High!

So if you receive an audit notice or even worse a visit by government agents, it is important that you don’t ignore this. Protect yourself from excessive fines and possible jail time. Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. with locations in Downtown Los Angeles, Century City, Woodland Hills, Long Beach and Ontario defend you from the IRS.

Description: Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. resolve your IRS tax problems and minimize the chance of any criminal investigation or imposition of civil penalties.

What Signs To Be On The Lookout For That You May Be Subject To An IRS Criminal Investigation.

A simple mistake, oversight, or your accountant’s malpractice may trigger an IRS criminal investigation. Specifically, unreported income, a false statement, the use of an impermissible accounting or banking service, or declaring too many deductions are things that could initiate an audit, which could then rise to the level of an IRS criminal investigation.

The tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. effectively handle criminal tax defense against criminal income tax issues prosecuted by the IRS. The IRS is the world’s most powerful collection agency, with tremendous resources, and its Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is ruthless. Its goal is singular: to conduct a thorough investigation of the taxpayer who has engaged in tax fraud so that he can be criminally prosecuted.

A criminal investigation differs from an audit. With an audit, the IRS attempts to determine whether you have calculated your tax liability correctly. With a criminal investigation, the IRS seeks to mount a case against you so that the U.S. Department Of Justice can prosecute you and hold you out as an example to others as to what will happen if you cheat the government.

The IRS Criminal Investigation Process

The IRS criminal investigation process is serious business. CID is composed of federal agents (called “Special Agents”), who are highly trained financial investigators that carry a gun and wear a badge. Unlike your typical police department, CID conducts a very thorough investigation which may last years while they interview your family, friends, co-workers, employees, and business associates, and bankers, among others, to acquire evidence as to the extent of the tax evasion or tax fraud that may have occurred.

A criminal tax violation conviction results in severe consequences, and in addition to monstrous fines, including the cost of prosecution and jail time. Each count can result in five years in jail and it could spell financial, personal and social ruin. Compounding the situation is that often a taxpayer will not know when he is subject to an IRS criminal investigation until it is in its late stages at which time they surely have made incriminating admissions if they were not represented by competent counsel.

Signs that You May Be Subject to an IRS Criminal Investigation:

(1) An IRS Revenue Officer abruptly stops pursuing you after he has been requesting you to pay your IRS tax debt, and now does not return your calls. The agent might be getting ready to refer your case to the CID to investigate previous or current tax evasion or crimes you may have committed within the collection process. (i.e., making false statements, hiding income or assets).

(2) An IRS Revenue agent has been auditing you and now disappears for days or even weeks at a time. After a case is referred to the CID, both the Collection and Examination Divisions put things on “pause” because they do not want to jeopardize a successful criminal prosecution. CID is incredibly resourceful and tactful. To better position yourself against them, it is best to obtain an experienced IRS tax attorney as early as possible where criminal tax exposure is apparent in your fact pattern (like where you know you cheated on the return that is under audit). This is true even if your case is only at the civil investigation stage.

(3) Your bank informs you that your records have been summoned by the CID or subpoenaed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

(4) Your accountant is contacted by Special Agents, or has been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury and told to bring your tax records. Unfortunately, the “accountant-client privilege” simply does not protect you in a criminal case and any statements made to your accountant can be used against you in a criminal investigation, either through the “discovery” process leading to trial or where the accountant is called as a witness during criminal tax trial.

What Should You Do?

Whether and when to answer questions from the IRS, or whether to stand on your 5th Amendment rights, are questions that only a tax fraud lawyer can help you answer. Your financial well being, as well as your personal freedom may depend on the right answers. If you or your accountant even suspects that you might be subject to a criminal or civil tax fraud penalty, the experienced tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego and elsewhere in California can determine how to respond to these inquiries and formulate an effective strategy.

Description: Working with a tax attorney lawyer is the best way to assure that your freedom is protected and to minimize any additional amount you may owe to the IRS.

Badges of Fraud: What Sets the Alarms Off at the IRS?

A new client once came to me saying she had made an error in preparing her tax return and inadvertently took a deduction to which she was not entitled. “Will I go to jail if I’m audited?” The answer of course, is no. If that were the case, you might as well surround the country in barbed wire and imprison all of us. After all, I’m sure almost everyone in this country has made an error or misunderstood a tax law and claimed a deduction they shouldn’t have or failed to report some income because the reporting document got lost in the mail or misplaced.

But some taxpayers go too far. Their tax returns read like a fiction novel. Therefore, IRS auditors have been trained to spot the hot issues which usually are present with dishonest taxpayers.  These hot issues are called by the IRS as the “Badges Of Fraud” which could result in your case being referred to the IRS Criminal Investigation Division (CID).

 The Badges Of Fraud include:

  • understatements of income;
  • inadequate records;
  • failure to file tax returns;
  • implausible or inconsistent explanations of behavior;
  • concealment of assets;
  • failure to cooperate with tax authorities;
  • engaging in illegal activities;
  • attempting to conceal illegal activities;
  • dealing in cash; and
  • failure to make estimated tax payments.

If you have any of these tax problems and you are audited by the IRS you may need to engage a tax fraud attorney. Actions you take during the course of a tax audit can turn a run of the mill tax controversy into a tax fraud case. For example, lying or giving evasive answers to IRS investigators, delaying tactics, and other actions designed to mislead IRS agents are all indicia of tax fraud.

The penalties for criminal tax fraud are very serious. They range up to 5 years in jail, plus fines of up to $500,000, plus the costs of prosecution for each separate tax crime. Once the criminal tax case is completed CID will refer the case back to the IRS Examination Division where the taxes will be assessed, and the IRS can be expected to add on the civil tax fraud penalty, on top of any criminal tax fraud fines.

Whether and when to answer questions from the IRS, or whether to stand on your 5th Amendment rights, are questions that only a tax fraud lawyer can help you answer. Your financial well being, as well as your personal freedom may depend on the right answers. If you or your accountant even suspects that you might be subject to a criminal or civil tax fraud penalty, the experienced tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego and elsewhere in California can determine how to respond to these inquiries and formulate an effective strategy.

Description: Working with a tax attorney lawyer is the best way to assure that your freedom is protected and to minimize any additional amount you may owe to the IRS.

IRS Traps Gentlemen’s Club Owner Who Filed False Tax Returns And Maintained Two Sets Of Books.

You can’t have it both ways. More than one small business owner has either underreported his income or overstated his business expenses in order to save on income taxes. But that can come back to haunt them when they go to sell the business. While not universally true, most buyers base their offer on the cash flow from the business. Low income means a low selling price. That was the situation in this case. The big difference was the buyers were undercover IRS agents.

John M. Potter owned and operated a “gentlemen’s club” called Potter’s Pub, Inc. Potter’s Pub was a cash-based business that derived receipts from food and drink charges run through the cash register, door cover charges, juke box moneys, pool table receipts, and moneys paid to the pub by the dancers for the privilege of “dancing”. Mr. Potter was the president and sole owner. For each year at issue he filed, and signed as president, a Form 1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return, for Potter’s Pub. Those returns reported losses for 2002 and 2003 and zero taxable income for 2004 and 2005. Mr. Potter’s individual income tax returns for the years at issue reported no wages, dividends, or other income from Potter’s Pub on the returns.

In December 2006 IRS Special Agents engaged in an undercover investigation of Potter’s Pub posing as buyers interested in acquiring the business. Mr. Potter assured the undercover agents that Potter’s Pub was much more profitable than it appeared. He explained that he deposited in the corporate account only enough of the business revenues to cover its expenses and that he wired the balance of its revenues to his personal bank account in Florida. These wire transfers were structured in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid reporting obligations by the bank to the IRS. In reality, Mr. Potter told the undercover agents, Potter’s Pub grossed more than $1 million annually and he took home between $400,000 and $520,000 each year. He showed the agents clandestine sales ledgers for 2003 and 2004 that supported the gross receipts he claimed, acknowledging that it might have been unwise to maintain documentary evidence of his skimming.

During a subsequent search of Potter’s Pub, IRS Special Agents seized upwards of $200,000 in cash and obtained the set of clandestine sales ledgers that tracked its daily receipts. These ledgers confirmed that Potter’s Pub’s annual receipts for 2002 to 2005 were vastly in excess of the amounts that Mr. Potter had reported to the IRS. The difference between its actual gross receipts and the gross receipts reported on the company’s Forms 1120 for those years exceeded $2 million.

In January 2009 Mr. Potter was criminally charged with eight counts under Section 7206(1) and (2) for making and subscribing false tax returns, and for assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, for himself and Potter’s Pub. In May 2009 he pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing a false Form 1120 on behalf of Potter’s Pub for 2002. Pursuant to his plea, he was sentenced to 18 months’ prison time and supervised release for one year. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $400,000.

Don’t think the case above could happen to you? In a case some years ago a taxpayer was selling his business and divulged the second set of books to the buyer. At some point the buyer had a falling out with the seller and reported him to the IRS.

One of the dangers of filing false returns, other than the obvious one of problems with the IRS (and the applicable state), is that how you deal with other parties who are interested in your financial position. For example, you’re going for a bank loan for your business, or a home mortgage, a car loan, or, as in this case, you’re trying to sell your business. If you present financials that conflict with your tax return you run the risk being accused of defrauding the lender or buyer. Worse, the financials presented to the bank can be used as evidence of fraudulent intent with respect to the tax returns.

Already filed returns which can be considered fraudulent? The sooner you hire tax counsel experienced in criminal tax matters, the higher the chance that further escalation of your case in the criminal arena could be avoided or limited.

Protect yourself from excessive fines and possible jail time. Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and elsewhere in California defend you from the IRS.

Description: Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. resolve your IRS tax problems and minimize the chance of any criminal investigation or imposition of civil penalties.

IRS Trolling Social Media Looking For Tax Evaders

Thanks to Big Data analysis and digital information-gathering tactics, the IRS employs a more watchful eye than ever especially with the fiscal challenges faced by the Federal government, the pressure for the IRS to recover lost revenue has never been higher. Conveniently enough, the IRS has made massive investments in its computing power and tools for crunching big data, allowing for more automation and rapid analysis. That means a greater capacity for robo-audits and less room for honest mistakes.

The IRS is reportedly using data from social media on people who file fishy-seeming taxes or don’t file at all. The IRS loses roughly $300 billion per year to tax evasion; and in times of budget cuts, with a smaller staff, the agency has allegedly turned to both data mining and data crunching.

In its quest to find and audit tax dodgers, the IRS is said to use online activity trackers to sift through the mass amounts of data available on the Internet. This data is then added to the information the agency already has on people, such as Social Security numbers, health records, banking statements and property rolls.

But the IRS efficiency in catching tax evaders is not just from an improvement in the tools it uses but also from the fact that the data itself is richer and more varied than ever, drawing increasingly from whatever details about our digital lives the IRS can get its hands on, including information that isn’t publicly accessible.

In an April 2013 U.S. Senate Hearing, Senator Chuck Grassley (Iowa, Republican) asked Steven Miller, the IRS’ then acting commissioner, whether the IRS obtained a search warrant before reading private Facebook or Twitter messages. The Senator didn’t get an answer.

We don’t know the full extent of the IRS’s data-mining capabilities, but recent reporting has revealed new details. 

1. Analyzing Your Social Media Updates 

The social Web has been a boon for IRS investigators, who can use updates from Facebook, Twitter and other services to bolster its cases against alleged tax cheats. Information about work history, one’s physical whereabouts and even purchases can be gleaned from social networks. Some of it, like tweets and certain details from Facebook, are public. But should the IRS want to take a closer look, it supposedly has the means to do so, with or without a warrant. 

According to recent reports, the IRS cross-references data from social networks with Social Security numbers and then works in a host of other private data to look for suspicious patterns. 

the IRS is using online activity trackers to mine through massive amounts of data on sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to look at photos and other updates that might offer a glimpse into vacations, home and car purchases and other goodies.

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have all become places where people post intimate details about their lives: vacation photos, work successes, buying a new house, car, or other cool stuff.

However, this information is also up for grabs by the Internal Revenue Service. So a word of advice: THINK BEFORE YOU POST. After all, do you really want IRS to like your Facebook update or be your newest Twitter follower?

2. Monitoring Digital Payments and Credit Card Activity 

The rise of commerce and digital payments has also given the IRS new sets of data to mine and analyze. The agency has long looked at taxpayers’ activity on ecommerce sites like EBay, but are now going deeper and getting a look at credit card transactions and other online payments. 

The IRS looks for potential auditing targets by matching tax filings to social media or electronic payments. The exact mechanism of this monitoring isn’t publicly known (lest they tip off tax cheats) but it is widely believed that it includes examining credit card transactions for the first time ever. And if the IRS feels it has cause to take a peek at your online payment data, it won’t have a problem doing so. 

3. Peeking At Your Email Usage 

While as of April 2013 the IRS said it would abandon its controversial policy that claimed the right to read taxpayers’ e-mail without first obtaining a search warrant, the IRS did not make the same commitment for other private electronic communications including when and how the IRS looks at email usage.

The IRS’ big data analysis tools are used in part for “tracking individual Internet addresses and emailing patterns.” That’s pretty vague. In theory, the IRS could glean some details about email usage simply by looking at browsing activity, whether that insight comes from an ISP or email service provider. 

Does that mean that the IRS has blanket access to everybody’s Gmail account for the purpose of feeding its data-crunching behemoth? That seems pretty unlikely. Instead, what the IRS likely does is to get a search warrant to access individual accounts for people who are already suspected of wrongdoing. It usually is easy for the IRS to be granted a search warrant and the taxpayer is not required not receives any notice that a search warrant was issued.

Conclusion

Of course, these days everyone from Google to Nike is cobbling our data together to create profiles of us.

Still, it’s different when the IRS does it. If Nike is analyzing your information, the worst consequence is that they market stuff to you that you don’t want and it’s annoying. However, if the IRS does it, the worst consequence is there could be legal ramifications, whether it’s fines, penalties or imprisonment. Which is why the sooner you hire tax counsel experienced in criminal tax matters, the higher the chance that further escalation of your case in the criminal arena could be avoided or limited.

Protect yourself from excessive fines and possible jail time. Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and elsewhere in California defend you from the IRS.

Description: Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. resolve your IRS tax problems and minimize the chance of any criminal investigation or imposition of civil penalties.

What Tax Crimes Can The IRS Charge You With?

Unlike a civil tax examination, a criminal tax investigation has little to do with the assessment of additional tax. The purposes of a criminal investigation are (1) to detect suspected criminal tax offenses and (2) to refer those offenses for criminal prosecution. The government’s goal is to obtain a conviction that results in imprisonment, fines, and/or restitution.

Tax Evasion


This is a particularly broad, catch-all statute that subjects the taxpayer to fines of up to $100,000.00 ($500,000.00 for corporations) and imprisonment of up to 5 years for the willful attempt in any manner to evade or defeat any tax under the Internal Revenue Code. While used sparingly by the U.S. Justice Department, it nevertheless remains a potential trap for even the most innocuous and benign transgressions of the IRC.

Fraud and False Statements


Any person who makes a false or fraudulent statement, or assists another person to make a false or fraudulent statement in connection with documents submitted to the IRS, such as Form 433A or B, or an offer in compromise or a closing agreement, may be prosecuted under this statute and, if convicted, subjected to a fine of up to $100,000.00 ($500,000.00 in the case of a corporation) and imprisoned up to three years. Concealment of property from the IRS, or withholding, falsifying or destroying records, also subjects the person to prosecution under this statute.

Failure to File Returns, Supply Information, or Pay Tax


This is another broad statute that can be used to criminally convict a taxpayer for failing to file a tax return, filing an incomplete one, or not paying the tax that is due. The taxpayer may be fined $25,000.00 ($100,000.00 in the case of a corporation), plus costs of prosecution, and incarcerated up to one year in a federal prison.

If CID recommends prosecution, it will give its evidence to the Justice Department to decide the special charges. Individuals are typically charged with one or more of three crimes: tax evasion, filing a false return, or not filing a tax return. All of which are tax fraud.

The sooner you hire tax counsel experienced in criminal tax matters, the higher the chance that further escalation of your case in the criminal arena could be avoided or limited.

Protect yourself from excessive fines and possible jail time. Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and elsewhere in California defend you from the IRS.

Description: Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. resolve your IRS tax problems and minimize the chance of any criminal investigation or imposition of civil penalties.

How The IRS May Start A Criminal Investigation Against You?

The IRS Criminal Investigation Division (“CID”) is made up of Special Agents who are duly sworn law enforcement officers who are trained to “follow the money”. CID may open up an investigation in higher profile cases as a result of coordination with the FBI, DEA, INS and other agencies. However, average citizens should not assume that they are immune from investigation by the CID. They may be targets of special programs, such as those involving tax protester groups, bankruptcy fraud, or bank deposits or currency exchange transactions involving cash of $10,000.00 or more. In addition, they may be referred to CID by Revenue Agents of the Examination Division or Revenue Officers of the Collection Division who have reason to believe that there may be fraud or tax evasion involved in the cases they are working. Finally, CID may open an investigation simply as a result of a telephone call to their “squeal” line if it feels that the call warrants further investigation.

A criminal case is the most serious kind of case that IRS can have against a taxpayer. Nothing even comes close to the impact of an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Division. If it results in a referral to the U.S. Justice Department and subsequent prosecution, the consequences may be devastating, including damage to the taxpayer’s personal and business reputation, financial ruin, break up of his or her family unit, and, worst of all, incarceration.

If you are contacted by Special Agents and asked to be interviewed, decline the interview and contact a criminal attorney immediately. Do not say anything to them. Anything you say may be held against you – even statements you may consider to be innocuous. For example, many criminal statutes require an element that is known as “willfulness.” Willfulness is a state of mind that cannot be demonstrated through direct evidence. The government must resort to circumstantial evidence to prove a state of mind, such as statements by the taxpayer. Therefore, even statements about the weather, depending on the context in which they are made, may be relevant to prove “willfulness.” An unwary taxpayer, encouraged by seemingly friendly and low-key Special Agents, may disclose information that is damaging to his or her case.

How do you know you have been contacted by Special Agents? They almost always travel in pairs, show their gold badges, and, as a matter of policy, usually read your “Miranda” rights on initial contact.

The need to retain counsel cannot be overemphasized. The criminal “game” is played by special rules and you need a representative who knows them.

If CID recommends prosecution, it will give its evidence to the Justice Department to decide the special charges. Individuals are typically charged with one or more of three crimes: tax evasion, filing a false return, or not filing a tax return. All of which are tax fraud.

The sooner you hire tax counsel experienced in criminal tax matters, the higher the chance that further escalation of your case in the criminal arena could be avoided or limited.

Protect yourself from excessive fines and possible jail time. Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and elsewhere in California defend you from the IRS.

Description: Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. resolve your IRS tax problems and minimize the chance of any criminal investigation or imposition of civil penalties.

Beware Of IRS Special Agents Who Travel In Pairs!

An IRS Special Agent works for the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division (“CID”). Special Agents are duly sworn law enforcement officers who are trained to “follow the money”. They investigate potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code, and related financial crimes. Unless they are working undercover they will identify themselves with credentials which include a gold badge. The same gold badge appears on their business cards. Generally IRS Special Agents travel in pairs if they are going to interview someone. One to conduct the interview, and the other to take notes, and act as a witness if necessary.

If you are contacted by an IRS Special Agent it is because he or she is conducting a CRIMINAL investigation. It is possible that the Special Agent is only interested in you as a witness against the target of the IRS investigation. However, it is a bad idea to speak to Special Agent without a criminal tax attorney present. IRS Special Agents are highly trained financial investigators. If you are the target or subject of an IRS criminal investigation you are not going to talk your way out of it, by “cooperating”; instead you may be giving the IRS more evidence to use against you.

Even if the IRS Special Agent tells you that you are only a witness you should still consult with an experienced criminal tax attorney BEFORE speaking with an IRS agent. If you make misstatements that you think put you in a better light you could change your role from a witness into a target. The best tactic is to simply tell the Special Agent that you are uncomfortable talking to him until you have had a chance to speak with your attorney. Then ask him for his business card. In this way your tax attorney can contact the Special Agent directly, and determine the best course of action.

There are a number of statutes in the Internal Revenue Code that authorize the federal government to prosecute individuals, including those dealing with tax evasion, fraud and false statements, failure to file returns, failure to pay tax, etc. Some, like the tax evasion statute, are worded in particularly broad terms and may ensnare the unwary or careless taxpayers.

If CID recommends prosecution, it will give its evidence to the Justice Department to decide the special charges. Individuals are typically charged with one or more of three crimes: tax evasion, filing a false return, or not filing a tax return. All of which are tax fraud.

The sooner you hire tax counsel experienced in criminal tax matters, the higher the chance that further escalation of your case in the criminal arena could be avoided or limited.

Protect yourself from excessive fines and possible jail time. Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and elsewhere in California defend you from the IRS.

Description: Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. resolve your IRS tax problems and minimize the chance of any criminal investigation or imposition of civil penalties.

Seven Tips To Avoid Having To Check Into “Club Fed” For Tax Evasion

Many criminal investigations start as a result of a referral from the civil side of the IRS. That is why for most taxpayers, a criminal investigation isn’t a first step, but rather the last step in a lengthy process to get you to resolve your tax debt even if it means that an IRS Special Agent will show up on your doorstep one day with cuffs in hand.

Additionally, while tax evasion and related charges are an important piece of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division (CID) charges, the government tends to link to other criminal activities like fraud, drug offenses, and money laundering. When it comes to criminal activities, other federal agencies – like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) – can pursue these violations.

Tip # 1: File and Pay Your Taxes on Time

This seems obvious. But failing to file and pay on time happens all of the time for all kinds of reasons. With all the balance due notices the IRS will issue, it should be clear that the IRS just wants to get paid. Yet, time and again, once an investigation has been initiated, taxpayers either refuse to pay or don’t pay the tax due. While there may be valid reasons for nonpayment, when it appears that resources are available, not filing and/or nonpayment just makes a bad situation worse. At sentencing hearings, judges take note of whether taxpayers have made arrangements to resolve ongoing liabilities.

Tip # 2: Open Your Mail and Respond On Time

Whatever you do, don’t think that by not claiming or opening mail from the IRS that your tax problems will go away by themselves. If you’ve been chosen for examination or if the IRS has asked you to provide additional information about your return, it means you’re on their radar. In most cases, it does not mean that you’ve been targeted for criminal investigation, just that additional information is required. But failing to respond – especially if you have good reasons for your behavior – doesn’t help and in most cases, it raises the level of inquiry.

Tip # 3: Cooperate During an Examination

Nobody likes IRS audits. They trigger all sorts of strong emotions. Indeed, they make people angry, defensive, and combative. But none of that helps. And it could make a bad situation worse. Procedurally, criminal investigations are generally initiated from information obtained when a Revenue Agent (auditor) or Revenue Officer (collection) detects possible fraud. While there are guidelines that lead to criminal inquiries, there may be some wiggle room – but not for taxpayers who thumb their nose at the IRS and are not cooperative.

Tip # 4: Be Consistent

Very simply, no privilege applies when speaking to or making disclosures to the IRS. If you report sales of $500,000 to the state for purposes of sales tax, the IRS will want to see these numbers accounted for on the Federal Income Tax Return. It is not unusual for the IRS to exchange information with other law enforcement agencies — local and federal — throughout the country. Don’t assume that because you have not yet heard from one tax agency information provided to another tax agency is not being shared. Be consistent in your reporting. This is the only sure way of not waiving any red flags in front of the bull.

Tip # 5: Don’t Destroy Records

Destroying records can be a crime. And if there’s anything you don’t need, that’s additional charges. Once an investigation is opened, an IRS Special Agent will attempt to gather facts and evidence. This may include interviews of third party witnesses, conducting surveillance, executing search warrants, subpoenaing bank records, and reviewing financial data including cash register receipts, bank statements, and deposit and withdrawal slips. Special Agents have even gone undercover to observe the lifestyle of many taxpayers, most especially those who own cash-based businesses to determine whether the business was hiding cash.

Tip # 6: Take Any Confrontation With IRS Special Agents As A Serious Matter

While there might be a temptation to roll the dice and see what happens, once criminal charges are filed, you have to take the matter seriously. Failing to file and failing to pay can result in criminal charges. Lying to federal investigators can result in additional criminal charges. It’s called perjury. Be smart. You have a right to remain silent – so use it!

Tip # 7: Hire a Criminal Tax Defense Attorney

Once a criminal investigation has begun, the wheels have been set in motion. After all the evidence has been collected, the IRS Special Agent will determine whether to recommend your case for prosecution or return it back to the field for completion of the audit. At this point, you’re not talking yourself out of charges. Your case will be referred to either the Department of Justice, Tax Division, or to the United States Attorney. At that point, it’s not a matter of simply mitigating penalties. You need to hire a criminal tax defense attorney who has experience in tax crimes and who has a solid reputation for being a zealous advocate.

Conclusion

If CID recommends prosecution, it will give its evidence to the Justice Department to decide the special charges. Individuals are typically charged with one or more of three crimes: tax evasion, filing a false return, or not filing a tax return. All of which are tax fraud.

The sooner you hire tax counsel experienced with criminal tax matters, the higher the chance that further escalation of your case in the criminal arena could be avoided or limited.

Protect yourself from excessive fines and possible jail time. Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco and elsewhere in California defend you from the IRS.

Description: Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. resolve your IRS tax problems and minimize the chance of any criminal investigation or imposition of civil penalties.

 

Are You Under Investigation For An Alleged Tax Crime? Protest Yourself!

What is a Tax Crime?

Tax crimes include all crimes that are under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the IRS. While there are dozens of criminal offenses defined in the Federal tax code, they generally all fall under one of two categories: crimes related to the filing of the return and crimes related to the failure to file a return. The most common crime related to the filing of a return is criminal tax evasion, which, at the Federal level, carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for individuals, plus the cost of prosecution. For taxpayers charged with criminal tax fraud for failing to file a return, the penalties can be just as severe: up to five years in prison plus a fine of up to $25,000. In addition to the tax crime provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, CID is also charged with enforcing certain other financial crimes, including: money laundering, structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, or aiding and abetting another in the commission of tax evasion. Tax preparers who file fraudulent returns for their clients can be charged with aiding and abetting tax fraud. Given the fact that return preparer fraud is one of the CID’s top operational priorities for this year, more preparers than ever are being charged tax crimes than ever before.

What to do if contacted by a criminal investigator

If you are contacted by a criminal investigator with the IRS, the best thing to do is indicate that you do not want to speak to the investigator, and immediately contact a California tax evasion lawyer. You will know that this person is from CID by checking his credentials and seeing that he or she is a “Special Agent”. A carefully crafted response from a qualified criminal tax fraud attorney can make the difference between being prosecuted for a tax crime and walking away from the investigation unscathed. While you are constitutionally protected against being forced to incriminate yourself, it is important to note that this right must be asserted. Simply ignoring the investigators will usually result in a summons being issued and you will be required to respond to the investigators or face criminal prosecution for failing to comply with the summons. If you have been contacted by the IRS and think you may be the subject of a criminal tax fraud investigation, you should contact a qualified criminal tax attorney before speaking to anyone else about the matter. It is important to note that conversations with an accountant, CPA, or “tax professional” are not always privileged and the other party may be forced to disclose what you have said to them. However, conversations with a criminal tax fraud attorney, even one that you have not retained, pertaining to your case are generally covered under the attorney-client privilege. Your tax fraud lawyer can never be forced to disclose your confidential conversations to anyone.

The differences between white collar crime attorneys and tax fraud attorneys

There are many white-collar crime attorneys who are willing to take tax evasion cases. However, only a full-time criminal tax lawyer is qualified to handle most tax cases. Because the existence and severity of most tax fraud crimes depends on the amount of the tax evaded, a thorough understanding of the tax code is indispensable to comprehensive representation. Unlike white-collar criminal lawyers, tax fraud attorneys are trained in and have extensive knowledge of the various provisions of the federal tax laws. Sometimes, the charge of tax evasion can be defeated by simply finding deductions and tax credits that the taxpayer failed to take advantage of, countering the effect of any omitted income or inflated deductions elsewhere on the return. A taxpayer who intentionally omitted income, or fabricated deductions on a tax return is not guilty unless they understated their tax due. A qualified tax evasion lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the Internal Revenue Code may be able to find enough other deductions and credits to offset the understatement of income, and beat a charge of tax evasion.

Protect yourself from excessive fines and possible jail time. Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. located in Los Angeles, San Francisco and elsewhere in California defend you from the IRS.

Description: Let the tax attorneys of the Law Offices Of Jeffrey B. Kahn, P.C. resolve your IRS tax problems and minimize the chance of any criminal investigation or imposition of civil penalties.