Tax Law

Inmate indicted in claimed murder-for-hire plot against federal judge

Phillip Monroe Ballard still hasn’t been tried on the federal charges he faces for allegedly holding himself out as a lawyer and advising others that they don’t have to pay income tax. But on the front burner, it appears, is the murder-solicitation prosecution the Texas inmate is facing for allegedly…

May 15, 2013 10:40 PM CDT

Justice Department will investigate IRS after official admits some conservative groups targeted

Updated: A disclosure on Friday about the flagging of tea party and patriot groups for extra scrutiny in their applications for tax-exempt status has led to a promise of congressional investigations and a report that the targeting was not confined to just one city. There was yet another development on…

May 14, 2013 6:45 PM CDT

Top tax court judge should be suspended 9 months without pay, review panel says

A review panel has recommended that the chief judge of the Minnesota Tax Court be censured and suspended without pay for nine months, because he routinely exceeded the three-month deadline for submitting his opinions and falsified dates to try to obscure his noncompliance. Nonetheless, Judge George Perez was known for…

May 14, 2013 3:00 PM CDT

IRS official apologizes for singling out ‘tea party’ and ‘patriot’ groups

Updated: An Internal Revenue Service official apologized today for agency workers who flagged groups that used the key words “tea party” or “patriot” in their applications for tax-exempt status. Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS unit that oversees tax-exempt groups, said the flagged groups were subjected to additional reviews, the…

May 10, 2013 3:38 PM CDT

Widow who owed $21.6M to feds gets ‘effectively 5 seconds’ of probation, as judge scolds government

An elderly Palm Beach, Fla., widow with a high school education got “effectively five seconds” of probation from a federal judge in an offshore tax-evasion case after paying a $21.6 million penalty and back taxes. Mary Estelle Curran, 79, had inherited $43 million in Swiss bank accounts from her husband,…

Apr 26, 2013 3:50 PM CDT

IRS gives 3-month filing extension to those affected by Boston Marathon bombing

After Monday’s fatal bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, the Internal Revenue Service has announce that the April 15 income tax filing deadline will be extended by three months for those affected by the crime. Those who live in Suffolk County, Mass., where the marathon was held,…

Apr 17, 2013 7:30 PM CDT

Swiss lawyer is accused of helping Americans evade taxes on income from offshore accounts

A Swiss lawyer who is also licensed in New York is being accused of helping Americans hide money in overseas accounts. An indictment in Manhattan federal court describes lawyer Edgar Paltzer as a partner in a Swiss law firm. He is charged with one count of conspiracy, report the Wall…

Apr 17, 2013 1:37 PM CDT

Oral arguments suggest DOMA will be overturned, SCOTUSblog’s Goldstein says

A tweet by SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein sums up his prediction of how the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal benefits for same-sex married couples. “Final update,” Goldstein tweeted after oral arguments on Wednesday. “#scotus 80% likely to strike down…

Mar 27, 2013 4:50 PM CDT

Jury convicts IRS worker of masterminding bogus tax refund scheme

A federal jury in Philadelphia on Wednesday convicted a former Internal Revenue Service employee of masterminding a scheme to collect fraudulent tax refunds while working at the IRS, often using straw filers. Aware that the IRS didn’t check telephone tax credit requests from filers owed less than $1,500, or ask…

Mar 15, 2013 3:36 PM CDT

Ex-partner of Jenkens & Gilchrist gets 8 years in tax shelter case, is ordered to pay $190M

A former partner of the now-defunct Jenkens & Gilchrist law firm was sentenced Friday to eight years in federal prison for her role in what federal prosecutors have billed as the largest criminal tax fraud case ever. Donna Guerin, who pleaded guilty last year after winning a retrial, was also…

Mar 1, 2013 9:55 PM CST

Parent-owned practices benefit from hiring offspring

When Rex Redlingshafer Jr. had an interest in becoming a lawyer, his parents put him to work. “From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rex worked in our law firm during his college summers,” says Janice Stanton, co-founder of Stanton & Redlingshafer in Kansas City, Mo., and proud parent. “Typing, messengering,…

Mar 1, 2013 8:10 AM CST

Due to Fiscal Cliff Slowdown, IRS Delays First Day for Income Tax Filing to Jan. 30

The usual April 15 deadline for filing federal income tax returns still applies. But last-minute fiscal cliff negotiations over stalled federal budget issues prompted the Internal Revenue Service to delay by eight days the beginning of the tax-filing season. Those who are organized enough to file early can now do…

Jan 9, 2013 7:47 PM CST

Work on Your Retirement Plans: Choices Depend on Firm Size and Income

The first step toward retirement security is this: “Adopt saving as a part of your lifestyle,” says Jay Foonberg, who built a successful Beverly Hills, Calif., practice spanning 50 years. “Save first, spend what’s left, and you’ll always have money.” Retirement benefits expert Bob West with Haynes Benefits law firm…

Jan 1, 2013 7:40 AM CST

Longtime Nev. Lawyer Gets 33 Months for Tax Evasion

A longtime Las Vegas practitioner has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after being convicted last year of two counts of tax evasion. Ian Christopherson, 57, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Miranda Du to pay restitution of over $728,000 in the Nevada case, the Las Vegas…

Dec 18, 2012 6:34 PM CST

Georgetown Law Prof Sees Fiscal Cliff as Lesser Evil

Georgetown law professor David Super isn’t optimistic that a compromise to avert the fiscal cliff will be good for the nation. Going over the cliff is the better alternative, Super writes in a New York Times op-ed. “If we are going to have radical deficit reduction, the fiscal cliff may…

Dec 18, 2012 12:34 PM CST