What can I do to avoid being audited?
- May 27th, 2021
- David Greene
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I often get this question during tax season. There is nothing you can do to guarantee that you will never be audited. However, by following three simple rules, you can minimize your chances of being audited and, if you are…
Are there any exceptions to the rule that canceled debt is counted as income?
- December 10th, 2020
- David Greene
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When a taxpayer is unable to pay all of a debt and the creditor cancels the unpaid part, the amount of the canceled debt is generally treated as income to the taxpayer under federal tax law. The creditor reports this…
Are foreign bank accounts illegal for American citizens?
- October 8th, 2020
- David Greene
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It’s amazing the rumors that abound about the IRS. You will not get in trouble for merely having a foreign bank account, so long as you report it properly on your tax return. Many people and businesses have such accounts…
Are offshore bank accounts illegal?
- September 24th, 2020
- David Greene
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As I have mentioned previously in this column, the IRS has launched an aggressive offensive campaign against people who have offshore bank accounts. It is certainly not illegal to have an offshore account or credit card and there are many…
What should a taxpayer do after receiving a threatening letter from the IRS?
- July 7th, 2020
- David Greene
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Even though most IRS offices are still closed due to COVID-19, some letters, computer generated and otherwise, are still being sent. When a person receives any Notice from the IRS, here are several things he can do: (1) Don’t panic. …
How should one report non-cash contributions?
- May 19th, 2020
- David Greene
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Keeping proper records to support contributions claimed as a tax deduction can be tricky. If you claim cash contributions, you must have a receipt from the charitable group to whom you gave the contribution. Also, the gift must be to…
The PEOPLE FIRST INITIATIVE from the IRS
- April 3rd, 2020
- David Greene
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In conjunction with the CARES Act and other directives from the President, the IRS has begun a new initiative called the People First Initiative. The highlights are as follows: If you are in an existing Installment Agreement, payments due between…
Which people get in tax trouble the most?
- March 12th, 2020
- David Greene
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I can’t say that there is any one group that tends to get in trouble more than any other, but there is one type of taxpayer who tends to get in trouble frequently. Self employed people tend to find themselves…
Can I use my unreimbursed employee mileage expense as a deduction in 2020?
- February 4th, 2020
- David Greene
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Unfortunately, you can no longer use mileage on the job as an unreimbursed business expense when you itemize deductions. In my practice I have found that, most of the time, those expenses were disallowed in an audit because the taxpayer…
When is a theft or bad debt loss not deductible?
- January 2nd, 2020
- David Greene
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You can claim a theft loss as a deduction only if there is no chance of recovering any of the amount stolen. Here the IRS is probably lookiong at the possibility that the owner will have to pay restitution as…