Tax Relief Blog

What can the taxpayer do if the time to respond to an IRS collection notice has passed?

June 20, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Do you owe the IRS unpaid back taxes? Have they sent you many letters but you did not respond?

There are still options.

CDP – Collection due process.

If the time to respond to an IRS collection notice has passed, you, the taxpayer, or your power of attorney / representative, may file a request for an equivalent hearing if you failed to make a timely request for a Collection Due Process (CDP) hearing (after receiving a Notice and Opportunity for Hearing upon Filing of Notice of a Federal Tax Lien or a Notice and Opportunity for Hearing Prior to Levy). The equivalent hearing will be held by the Appeals Office and will follow the procedures that are used for CDP hearings.

Get professional IRS representation. Our firm represents taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS.

Please call us at 562-204-6700 or email us to schedule an appointment.

What is the difference between a tax lien and a tax levy? Release your levy today!

June 7, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Did you receive an IRS or state tax lien notice, levy letter, postcard or phone call?

Know the difference between a tax lien and a tax levy, there are major differences between both enforcement action.

A tax lien is a type of claim against property that secures the payment of a tax debt. A Federal Tax Lien is a non-consensual lien that gives the IRS an interest in the taxpayer’s property (this interest will allow the IRS to seize and sell the taxpayer’s property in order to satisfy an assessment). Under §6321, the tax lien is imposed in favor of the United States Treasury when an assessment has been made by the IRS, a notice and demand for payment has been made, and the taxpayer has neglected or refused to pay the assessment. Under §6322, the IRS tax lien arises at the time the assessment was made.

The lien attaches to all property and rights to property belonging to the taxpayer at the time the lien arises as well as any property acquired after the lien arises. The IRS files a Notice of Federal Tax Lien to put the taxpayer’s other creditors on notice that the IRS has a claim against all of the taxpayer’s property. The IRS lien continues until liability for the assessment is satisfied by payment or abatement, or the assessment becomes unenforceable by reason of lapse of time.

Get professional IRS representation. Our firm represents taxpayers before all administrative levels of the IRS.

Please call us at 562-204-6700 or email us to schedule an appointment.

Payroll tax penalty problem? How a taxpayer show reasonable cause to excuse the penalty for failure to file or pay payroll taxes?

May 22, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Are you a business owner or an officer facing a 941 payroll or employment tax problem?

Unpaid payroll or employment tax is a serious tax matter, and the IRS holds the business owner, officers and other personnel as responsible person(s) and actively enforce aggressive collection measures to collect on the unpaid back taxes, penalties and interest.

For the IRS to excuse the penalty for failing to file, the taxpayer must show that such failure was due to reasonable cause. A taxpayer can show reasonable cause by proving that he or she “exercised ordinary business care and prudence and was nevertheless unable to file the return within the prescribed time” (see Reg. §301.6651-1(c)(1)). This standard is objective and will be determined by analyzing all the facts and circumstances.

Pico Rivera, California Tax Preparation and Planning Services, El Monte CA IRS – FTB – CDTFA – BOE – EDD Tax Help

May 9, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Mike Habib, EA tax firm provides a wide range of tax preparation, tax planning, tax representation and consulting services. We professionally prepare individual and business tax returns including Federal, State and e-filing. Clients come to us for expert assistance with any tax notice or IRS problem. We serve Pico Rivera, El Monte, CA and other surrounding cities.

IRS – FTB – CDTFA – BOE – EDD Tax Help

Please call us at 562-204-6700 or email us to schedule an appointment.

Proven Ways to Resolve Your IRS Tax Debt Problems

April 18, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Are constant calls and mail from the IRS bogging you down? Have you run out of possible options to pay your IRS tax debt running out of control in the tens or hundreds of thousands? Trust us; it’s not the end of the world and you are not alone. ‘How to resolve my IRS tax debt problem?’ is a constant question hovering over many people’s minds.

Tax Help for the Entertainment Industry – The Enrolled Agent Advantage

April 8, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

If you work in the entertainment industry you know that it has its share of advantages, but it can get tricky at tax time. Depending upon your role – whether you are an entertainer or involved in one of the many other aspects of the industry – you know how busy your schedule gets and how complex your income and expense records can be. The IRS still requires you to file your income tax returns on time, and accurately.

In all probability your return isn’t quite as straightforward as someone who works at a corporation, goes to the same job every day, and gets a weekly or monthly check with all of the taxes taken and accounted for. That’s why it’s even more important to get the right kind of help during tax season; for some entertainers, it may also be advisable to get guidance throughout the year due to the complexity of transactions for income, expenses, and investments particular to this industry.

Don’t compromise on your tax representation!

A tax professional with experience in the entertainment industry can provide you with the best advice.

Our tax firm led by Mike Habib, EA, handles various tax aspects for clients in the Entertainment Industry, for a free confidential consultation, call us today at 877-788-2937.

Identity Theft and Taxes – Be on the Lookout.

March 25, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Identity thieves are very clever. They not only steal credit cards and drain bank accounts; in 2011, the Internal Revenue Service reported the number of fraudulent tax returns associated with identity theft at 940,000 returns, resulting in $6.5 billion in associated fraudulent refunds – according to J. Russell George, head of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It is big business for the thieves and it’s a huge headache for the taxpayers whose identities have been stolen.

Identity theft refers to someone obtaining another person’s personal details, to commit fraud or other crimes. This includes the use of a name and Social Security number not belonging to the fraudster.

Haven’t Filed a Tax Return for a Few Years? Here’s What to Do.

March 11, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

If you haven’t filed taxes for a few years, first and foremost, take a big breath. It’s not great news, but it’s not the end of the world either. You might like to know that you are not alone; there are roughly 6 million non-filers in the U.S every year. There are many reasons people do not file, with IRS research showing that often people do not file in years that they have status changes, like the death of a spouse or a divorce. Emotional and financial hardships are also cited as reasons that people do not file their tax returns on time. There are also people who have simply procrastinated.

No matter what the reason, you need to know that the only way to deal with the back taxes is to get compliant and file your taxes. There’s no way around it. If you don’t, the IRS will determine what they think you should pay, and they will begin to put penalties and interest on top of what they estimate your tax liability to be.

Red Flags that Might Trigger an IRS Tax Audit Part 2 of 2

February 28, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

Continued from our prior blog post.

The Most Common IRS Red Flags that could trigger a Tax Audit:

16. Claiming 100% business use of a vehicle – When you depreciate a car, you have to list on IRS Form 4562 of what percentage of its use during the year that you claim (testify on a Federal form by your signature) was for business. Claiming 100% business use of an automobile, especially if you have no other vehicles available for use, can be a red flag; so being conservative here is advisable.

Red Flags that Might Trigger an IRS Tax Audit Part 1 of 2

February 15, 2013 | Mike Habib, EA

No one really wants to be audited by the IRS. It’s time consuming, and quite frankly, a headache. You’ve probably wondered at some point who gets audited and why, as well as how you can avoid it. While there is no fool-proof way to avoid an audit; however, there are ways to reduce your chances.

The IRS audits slightly more than 1% of all individual tax returns each year because they do not have the resources and personnel to examine more than that. They do, however, look to audit the returns that are more likely to uncover overstated deductions, unreported income, false claims, or taxpayers that haven’t filed tax returns in a while.