IRS Collection Notices to Re-Start in 2024
On 12/19/23, the IRS announced the restart of IRS collection notices as well as a new penalty relief for approximately 4.7 million individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations that were not sent an automated IRS collection notice reminder during the Covid-19 pandemic. The IRS will be providing about $1 billion in penalty relief for five million […]
Adequate Books and Records Often Overlooked!
Internal Revenue Code Section 6001 requires Taxpayers to maintain adequate books and records and “that that every person liable for any tax imposed by the Code, or for the collection thereof, must keep such records, render such statements, make such returns, and comply with such rules and regulations”. Adequate Books and Records or Well-Organized Records […]
Taxes Owed But NOT Fully Paid? IRS charging 8%.
On 8/25/23, the IRS announced that Interest rates increase for the fourth quarter 2023 would increase to 8% per year for the calendar quarter beginning 10/1/23 for taxes owed but not fully paid by individual taxpayers (“underpayments”). The 8% interest rate is up from 3% in December 2021 – a 167% increase for taxes owed […]
Export Control FinCEN Red Flags
On 11/6/23, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and FinCEN issued a joint notice regarding export control evasion highlighting a new Suspicious Activity Report key term (“FIN-2023-GLOBALEXPORT”) for financial institutions to reference when reporting potential efforts by individuals or entities seeking to evade U.S. export controls NOT related to Russia’s invasion […]
Terrorist Financing FinCEN Red Flags
On 10/20/23, Terrorist Financing Red Flags were issued by FinCEN to assist financial institutions in identifying funding streams for the terrorist organization Hamas in response to Hamas’s terrorist attack on the people of Israel. FinCEN is urging financial institutions including virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to be vigilant in identifying suspicious activity relating to financing […]
The Tax Gap Increased to $688 Billion in Tax Year 2021
On 10/12/23 announced new tax gap projections for tax years 2020 and 2021 showing the projected gross tax gap increased to $688 billion in tax year 2021, a rise of more than $192 billion from the prior estimates for tax years 2014-2016 and a rise of $138 billion from the revised projections for tax years […]
Fake Charities Scam Warning
On 10/23/23, the IRS issued a warning to taxpayers regarding Fake Charities scams and how unsuspecting donors may actually be contributing to fake charities and not be able to deduct donations on their tax returns despite the taxpayers response to the donation call to given the tragic crises and natural disasters happening around the globe […]
Artificial Intelligence to Assist IRS with Tax Cheats
On 9/20/23, the IRS announced that it plans to establish a special area to focus on large or complex pass-through entities to help with high-income compliance efforts. With the assistance of improved technology as well as Artificial Intelligence, the IRS compliance teams will be better able to detect tax cheating, identify emerging compliance threats and […]
Art Donation Scheme Warning from IRS
On 10/5/23, the IRS issued a warning and offered tips to all taxpayers, including, High-Net-Worth taxpayers (high income filers) to be on the lookout for promotions that promise art donation deductions that are a tax scheme. Although there are legitimate ways that taxpayers can claim donations of art, there are unscrupulous promoters may use direct […]
OFAC Suspends Certain Venezuela Sanctions
On 10/18/23, OFAC provided issued sanctions relief to Venezuela entities in the following sectors: oil and gas, state-owned gold mining company and Venezuelan sovereign bonds and PdVSA (Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.) debt and equity. OFAC cautioned that it is prepared to revoke these authorizations, if appropriate, to support US foreign policy and national security priorities. […]
Understanding Trusts so You are not mislead by the word “Trust”
Trusts are vehicles that can assist in the preservation of wealth and property for future generations, protect assets, or carry out a charitable purpose. A trust is an entity created and governed under the state law in which it was formed. A trust involves the creation of a fiduciary relationship between a grantor, a trustee, […]
New IRS Compliance Efforts
On 9/823, the IRS announced new compliance efforts that will focus on increasing scrutiny on high-income taxpayers, partnerships, corporations and promoters abusing tax rules on the books by using Artificial Intelligence and improved technology to identify sophisticated schemes to avoid taxes. The new IRS compliance efforts are geared towards having the IRS compliance teams better […]
