Tax Controversy Specialist, Lecturer

Author of Now What? I Got a Tax Notice

from the IRS. Help!

“Most taxpayers do not realize that they have the right to be represented when it comes to dealing with the IRS.

You do not have to go it alone and you do not need a lawyer.

This is a major misconception from many that find themselves in deep waters with the IRS.” Quote from Chapter 3

 

Jerry Harper Jr., a pharmacist from Collinsville, VA, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of failing to account and pay for employment taxes to the IRS.

Harper owned and operated Family Discount Pharmacy, Inc, which had multiple locations throughout Virginia. As the owner, it was Harper’s responsibility to collect and pay employment taxes. Although Harper did withhold the taxes from his employees, he failed to pay those amounts withheld to the IRS from 2000 to 2014 and the indictment alleges that Harper only filed one employment tax return with the IRS in 15 years. It’s estimated the amount of tax liability is more than $1.2 million.

Instead, Harper used the money to pay personal expenses, including investments in the stock market, payments for his son’s pharmacy school tuition, real property purchases in Virginia and North Carolina and several automobiles.

The statutory prison sentence is five years on each count, a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A trial date is pending.

Brian Leo Snow, a resident of Rogersville, TN, was indicted by a federal grand jury, charging him with obstruction of internal revenue laws, filing fraudulent multi-million dollar liens against government employees and filing false claims for tax refunds.

According to court documents, it’s alleged that Snow filed false tax returns over a 9 year period filed false UCC Financing Statements against government employees seeking to collect his back taxes and a false tax lien release with the County Register of Deeds.

The indictment charges Snow with failing to file tax returns for almost 20 years and owes the IRS over $150,000 in back taxes. He filed the false retaliatory liens worth millions of dollars against an IRS Revenue Officer, an Assistant United States Attorney, and a federal judge. Snow also filed false claims with the IRS claiming over $144 million in refunds.

Snow could face a prison sentence of at least 20 years plus monetary penalties

Someone who arrives after the battle and bayonets all the wounded.

A former special agent for the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Alena Aleykina was convicted by a jury on charges of filing false tax returns, obstruction of justice and stealing government money.

In the evidence shown at trial, it was demonstrated that Aleykina, filed six false tax returns: three personal tax returns for 2009, 2010, 2011 and three in the names of trusts she created. Aleykina fraudulently claimed head of household filing status, false dependents, and deductions for expenses in which she was not entitled to on her personal returns, as well as claiming false wages paid to her mother and sister, while not reporting rental income on her trust tax returns.

While the government was investigating her false claim on her returns from Tuition Assistance, receiving $4,000 for tuition reimbursement for classes she did not take, Aleykina lied to the agents requesting her laptop by claiming she did not know where it was but began deleting files from the computer after the agents left.

It’s estimated that the loss to the IRS is more than $60,000. Sentencing will be in September 2018 where she could face three years in prison for each count of filing a false return, 10 years in prison for theft of government funds, 20 years for obstruction of justice as well as restitution and monetary penalties.

Phone: 772.337.1040

Email: jeff@sfstaxacct.com

738 Colorado Ave

Stuart, FL 34994

Jeff remains my tax preparer from year to year and not living around Jeff is not a big deal. He makes it easy. I’m a little over 1,100 miles away from Jeff and it’s like he’s right next door when he’s doing my tax preparation.

Jeff and Ali, they’re like family now. If I knew someone who was having tax issues, I would explain to them that the confidence you get from Jeff and Ali both handling your tax affairs is far worth it. – Kevin L.

Question: My wife owes back student loans. As a couple our tax refunds have been applied to her student loans for the past several years. I was told that if we file married filing seperately, only her refund will be applied to her back student loans, therefore I should receive my refund. Is this right?

Answer:

1. Married Filing Separately – This filing status may benefit you if you want to be responsible only for your own tax or it is results in less tax than filing a joint return. The problem is that you will usually pay more tax because there are “special rules” that apply.
2. Married Filing Jointly – Generally if you file jointly the IRS will take any refund available to pay either a federal tax debt or debt owed to another federal or state agency. However, when a joint return is filed and only one spouse owes a past-due amount, the other spouse can be considered an injured spouse. This is a very complicated issue and your tax professional can share additional information.

Before I mention this weeks recipe I want to report back that I made two sheet pans of the Sheet-Pan Chicken With Chickpeas, Cumin and Turmeric and it was excellent. I made a few changes – I added chopped garlic and cayene pepper for a little zip.

One pan with Gardein Chick’n Strips (vegetarian) marinated in the yogurt dressing. It was very good and I will make this again.

The second pan with real chicken was for Jeff and he enjoyed it.

You already know that Jeff and I love spicy food. The spicier, the better. So here is this weeks recipe, a New Orleans classic, Dirty Rice – it doesn’t get much better than this? I could say I make this with cauliflower rice, but that’s not happening…. the recipe calls for brown rice. Doesn’t that make it healthy?

I make this recipe (for me) without the chicken liver, sausage or chicken. I substitute Trader Joes soy sausage, and Gardein chick’n strips (much shorter cooking time) along with the shrimp. Oh and don’t forget the chopped garlic.

We up the heat factor and serve with Tabasco. Did you know that some spicy foods can speed up your metabolism?