IRS Audit Reconsideration

Nationwide tax relief services for Americans in need of tax relief help

March 1, 2011 | Mike Habib, EA

Do you owe back Taxes? Did you receive an audit letter from the IRS?

First, do not to panic. The IRS uses various letters to communicate with taxpayers about IRS back taxes and IRS tax audits. As with most IRS communications, there are strict deadlines associated with these letters that you have to meet. You should seriously review the items that are being challenged and prepare your factual response in a clear way to the IRS. As taxpayer, you can represent yourself, or hire a professional tax representative as a power of attorney to resolve your tax matters. Selecting a tax return for audit does not always suggest that the taxpayer has either made an error or been dishonest. In fact, some audits result in a refund to the taxpayer or acceptance of the return without change.

We represent clients before the IRS to resolve their tax controversies. The tax law is complicated and a professional will be better able to guide you through the audit experience, or to effectively resolve your back tax matter.

Tax Relief Specialists: How to Find a Reliable Tax Professional

February 27, 2011 | Mike Habib, EA

Tax relief experts have a job pretty similar in nature to specialists of any other field. For example, if you are traveling on the road and suddenly your car breaks down due to a mechanical fault, you cannot fix it without the service of an expert mechanic, unless you possess such proficiencies. Likewise, when your IRS taxes get out of control due to financial problems, carelessness or any other reason, you need the help of a tax relief expert to carry on with your smoother journey of life. But there are many so-called experts you need to beware of, who are there only to take your money. Let us try to expose these scammers!

The American economic system relies heavily on the taxation system and this is why the IRS handles the individuals vehemently who try to evade taxes. However, in current cloudy financial circumstances paying taxes is not an easy job. If you have become a tax defaulter, need not worry because there are several legal ways out.

If you try to solve your IRS tax problems without the technical know-how expertise, it is just like trying to fix your broken car without the help of a mechanic and you will end up nowhere. If you do not want to waste your time and money, contact a reliable tax relief expert, as soon as you realize the tax problem. Procrastination will result in nothing but penalties and higher interest and you will be paying much more than the actual back taxes owed.

IRS Tax Audits and Examinations

July 20, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

IRS Tax Audits and Examination

The US Internal Revenue Service organizes audits and examinations on tax returns to ensure tax compliance by both individuals and businesses. But because it’s virtually impossible to actually audit and examine every ITR for discrepancies, the audits are mostly randomized so your chances of getting picked for a particular year is just as high as getting overlooked. Many taxpayers manage to survive every tax season without undergoing an IRS tax audit but there are those that are not as lucky.

The audit selection process

Chances of being audited?

March 16, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

What are your chances for being audited? IRS’s 2008 data book provides some clues IR 2009-22

Mike Habib, EA Tax Relief & Tax Problem Resolution

IRS has issued its annual data book, which provides statistical data on its fiscal year (FY) 2008 activities. As this article explains, the data book provides valuable information about how many tax returns IRS examines (audits), and what categories of returns IRS is focusing its resources on, as well as data on other enforcement activities, such as collections.

Audit mistakes by the IRS

February 24, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

TIGTA assesses how well IRS Examination function scrutinizes all open tax periods during audits [Audit Report No. 2009-30-034]:

IRS Examination function employees do not always appropriately inspect and examine prior and/or subsequent year tax returns when warranted, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) said in a new audit.

Auditors reviewed 68 statistical sample cases and found that 13 (or 21%) of the cases warranted scrutiny of additional returns but none were selected for examination. In 26 (or 38%) of the 68 cases, “there was no evidence that examiners inspected either the prior or subsequent year return to identify similar issues to the years under examination or if large, unusual, or questionable items existed that would warrant examination,” the audit said. Factors that might be considered include the comparative size of an expense, if the nature of the item is significant, the beneficial effect of the manner in which an item is reported, and missing items on the return.

Independent contractor tax relief

February 24, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

Seventh Circuit classifies computer programmer as an independent contractor

Suskovich v. Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc., (CA 7 1/22/2009) 103 AFTR 2d ¶2009-385

The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, affirming a district court, has concluded that a computer programmer was an independent contractor and not an employee.

No More Tax Problems

January 5, 2009 | Mike Habib, EA

No More Tax Problems in 2009

Mike Habib, EA

Here is a New Year resolution you can’t afford to ignore… No more tax problems!! Yes, you can get rid of your tax problems in 2009.

S Corporation Tax

December 30, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Capital contributions did not restore or increase shareholders’ tax bases in loans to S corporations Nathel, (2008) 131 TC No. 17

Mike Habib, EA

The Tax Court has held that taxpayers’ capital contributions to S corporations did not constitute income to the S corporations and that the contributions did not restore or increase their tax bases in their loans to the S corporations.

Avoiding hobby loss restrictions

September 18, 2008 | Mike Habib, EA

Like many of us, you’ve probably dreamed of turning a hobby or avocation into a regular business. You won’t have any unusual tax headaches if your new business is profitable. However, if the new enterprise consistently generates losses (deductions exceed income), IRS may step in and say it’s a hobby–an activity not engaged in for profit–rather than a business.

What are the practical consequences? Under the so-called hobby loss rules, you’ll be able to claim those deductions that are available whether or not the enterprise is engaged in for profit (such as state and local property taxes). However, your deductions for business-type expenses (such as rent or advertising) will be limited to the excess of your gross income from the hobby over those expenses that are deductible whether or not the enterprise is engaged in for profit. Deductible hobby expenses are claimed on Schedule A of Form 1040 as miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to a 2%-of-AGI “floor.” By contrast, if the new enterprise isn’t affected by the hobby loss rules, all otherwise allowable expenses would be deductible on Schedule C, even if they exceeded income from the enterprise.

There are two ways to avoid the hobby loss rules. The first way is to show a profit in at least three out of five consecutive years (two out of seven years for breeding, training, showing, or racing horses). The second way is to run the venture in such a way as to show that you intend to turn it into a profit-maker, rather than operate it as a mere hobby. The IRS regs themselves say that the hobby loss rules won’t apply if the facts and circumstances show that you have a profit-making objective.