Today is the first day of the rest of your life. If things haven’t been going well lately, get a fresh start with a fresh attitude. The best is yet to come! Michael Josephson, of Character Counts.
Tax debt settlement help – get reliable tax relief
If you find yourself unable to comprehend the complexities of paying [...]

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Tax Attorney - Get the power of attorney for tax representation
A tax attorney may represent taxpayers with a tax deficiency, which is the excess of the correct tax liability over the tax shown on the taxpayer’s return plus amounts previously assessed (or collected without assessment) as a tax deficiency, and minus any credits made to the [...]

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Basic Trust Taxation Rules 

 It is estimated that $4.8 trillion in wealth will be inherited or transferred from one generation to the next by 2015, with much of it transferred through a variety of trusts. Filings of trust returns (Form 1041) are now the third most frequently filed income tax return behind individual and corporate returns. [...]

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Senate Unveil Tax Reform Bill
Senate Finance Committee members Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Judd Gregg, R-N.H., on February 23 unveiled a broad tax reform proposal that they say would create a simpler and fairer system by lowering tax rates and eliminating narrow tax breaks that benefit special interests. The plan would also simplify tax returns into [...]

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IRD – Income In Respect of a Decedent
All income the decedent would have received had death not occurred that was not properly includible on the final tax return is income in respect of a decedent.
If the decedent is a specified terrorist victim (see Specified Terrorist Victim, earlier), income received after the date of death and [...]

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Plane was crashed into Austin building by man angry at IRS, authorities say
A software engineer is presumed dead after flying his small plane into an office building. At least 13 people on the ground are injured and one is unaccounted for.
Source: LA Times
By Richard Fausset and Richard Serrano
Reporting from Washington and Austin, Texas
A disgruntled software [...]

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Entertainment Industry Income tax help
Every working Entertainer in the US is required to file his or her income tax returns on time and this means going through every receipt and transaction made throughout the previous year to make sure that everything is properly and accurately reported.
Unfortunately, filing your income tax return on time is a [...]

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Prepared Remarks of IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman to New York State Bar Association Taxation Section Annual Meeting in New York City, Jan. 26, 2010

It’s a great honor to address the New York State Bar Association Taxation Section. I look forward to beginning a dialogue with you that will start – but I trust – not [...]

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President Announces Middle-Class Tax Relief and Retirement Incentives
President Obama plans to propose a near doubling of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for middle-income families earning under $85,000, establishment of a system of automatic 401(k) enrollments and simplifying and expanding the Saver’s Tax Credit. These initiatives will be included in the president’s fiscal year [...]

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IRS Announces Qualified Disaster Treatment for Haiti
The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance that designates the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 as a qualified disaster for federal tax purposes. The guidance allows recipients of qualified disaster relief payments to exclude those payments from income on their tax returns. Also, the guidance allows employer-sponsored private [...]

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Southern California Tax Relief Services
IRS tax Relief, FTB tax Relief, BOE tax Relief, EDD tax relief
At Mike Habib, EA, a SoCal tax firm, we understand that being notified that your tax return is being challenged by the IRS or the FTB can be scary. When you are faced with an audit, or a collection action, [...]

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National Taxpayer Advocate Annual Report
National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson today released her annual report to Congress, warning that increased demands on the IRS have eroded the agency’s ability to meet taxpayer service needs and expressing concern that IRS collection practices are harming financially struggling taxpayers without producing significant revenue gains.
In the preface to the [...]

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Tax Relief – Short List
Tax relief is a term that refers to providing tax problem resolution and relief from the fear and burden of the mounting tax liability. Tax relief is provided on a federal and state level.
Want tax relief?
There are several reasons on why you may need tax relief. The main reason is usually [...]

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Tax Problems – Tax Problem Resolution

When tax problems occur, it can be difficult to hide from the IRS. Being familiar with these tax problems allow you to recognize them as soon as they occur. Whether you are an individual or a business entity, make sure that you are aware of these common problems regarding taxes.
Payroll [...]

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IRS Tax Levy – How to release federal tax liens and levies
Taxpayers have the right to appeal the IRS’ filing of a notice of a tax lien in the public record and petition for release. If filed in error, the IRS must release the lien and state that the lien was erroneous. The request for [...]

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Table 16.  Delinquent Collection Activities, Fiscal Years 2005-2008

[Money amounts are in thousands of dollars.]

Activity

2005

2006

2007

2008

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Returns filed with additional tax due:

Total amount collected [1]

[r] 27,615,348   

[r] 29,172,915   

[r] 31,952,399   

28,465,648   

Taxpayer delinquent accounts (thousands):

Number in beginning inventory

5,981   

6,478   

7,074   

8,240   

Number of new accounts

5,870   

6,100   

7,146   

7,099   

Number of accounts closed

5,373   

5,504   

5,980   

6,107   

Ending inventory:

Number

6,478   

7,074    [...]

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IRS has filed $79,000 lien against Gov. Schwarzenegger, records show
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
A spokesman for the governor says the matter is related to a paperwork discrepancy and has nothing to do with the payment of taxes.
By Michael Rothfeld
Reporting from Sacramento
The Internal Revenue Service has filed a federal tax lien against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for nearly [...]

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IRS Issues Final Regulations Governing Installment Agreements
The IRS has issued final regulations relating to the payment of tax liabilities through installment agreements. The regulations reflect changes to the law made by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights II (P.L. 104-168), the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-206) and the American Jobs [...]

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Treasury / SBA Highlight Role of Tax Cuts During Small Business Financing Forum
US Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner presided over the Small Business Financing Forum presented by the Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration (SBA) on November 18 in Washington, D.C. While the program was aimed at exploring financing issues, recent tax cuts were [...]

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President Signs Military Spouses Residency Relief Act
Source: Journal of Accountancy
President Barack Obama signed into law the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (PL 111-97), which will ensure that the spouses of military personnel who move because their spouse is posted for military duty will be treated as not having changed residency for tax purposes.
Under the act, [...]

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Effective Date of Regulations Under § 411(b)(5)(B)(i); Relief Under § 411(d)(6); and Notice to Pension Plan Participants
Announcement 2009-82
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service are announcing relief for sponsors of statutory hybrid plans that must amend the interest crediting rate in those plans. Plan sponsors may rely on this announcement pending publication of the [...]

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IRS Back Taxes
Mike Habib, EA
You incur IRS back taxes when you haven’t been filing your income tax returns religiously every year. Tax season can be a stressful time and there are a lot of people who tend to overlook the deadlines so they find themselves having to rush to make it in time. For those [...]

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Tax Debt Relief
Mike Habib, EA
1-877-788-2937
If you failed to file your returns and the IRS is already calling your attention so you can pay for back taxes, you need to seek tax debt relief. These back taxes are derived from the SFR (Substitute For Return) filings that the IRS files if you cannot do it yourself. [...]

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Tax Impact of Job Loss

JOB LOSS CREATES TAX ISSUES

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes that the loss of a job may create new tax issues. The IRS provides the following information to assist displaced workers.
> Severance pay and unemployment compensation are taxable. Payments for any accumulated vacation or sick time are also taxable. You [...]

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Do You Barter?
Mike Habib, EA
Bartering is the trading of one product or service for another. Usually there is no exchange of cash. Barter may take place on an informal one-on-one basis between individuals and businesses, or it can take place on a third party basis through a modern barter exchange company.
Bartering is the most ancient [...]

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IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman addressed the National Association of Corporate Directors Governance Conference
WASHINGTON — I realize that the IRS Commissioner has not customarily addressed the NACD’s corporate governance conference…but what I want to discuss with you this afternoon is the important role that boards of directors can play in overseeing tax risk and tax strategies [...]

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U.S. Citizens Residing in Canada Liable for AMT Based on Foreign Tax Credit Limitation (Jamieson, CA-DC)
Married U.S. citizens residing in Canada were liable for the alternative minimum tax (AMT) because the amount of foreign tax credits they could claim was limited by Code Sec. 59(a)(2) (prior to repeal by the American Jobs Creation Act of [...]

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The following is a summary of the most important tax developments that have occurred in the past three months that may affect you, your family, your investments, and your livelihood. Please call us at 1-877-788-2937 for more information about any of these developments and what steps you should implement to take advantage of favorable developments [...]

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Tax debt help
Mike Habib, EA
1-877-788-2937
You’re going to need tax debt help if you’re one of the many taxpayers trying to contend with back taxes and tax debts amounting to more than $10,000. While there are people who believe that hiring a professional to help you resolve your issues with the IRS is impractical especially if [...]

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Method Man Talks About Tax Evasion Arrest
WATCH IT! The IRS might be looking for you fo rback taxes too!

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Getting Tax Relief Help
By Mike Habib, EA
Even when you’re really careful about filing your income tax returns, something’s always bound to go wrong when you least expect it. It’s not uncommon to find even the most discerning and meticulous individuals and businesses to find themselves searching for tax relief assistance to get themselves out of [...]

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Interest expense deduction of foreign corporations
Mike Habib, EA
TD-9465, provides final regulations under section 882(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) concerning the determination of the interest expense deduction of foreign corporations engaged in a trade or business within the United States. These final regulations conform the interest expense rules to recent U.S. Income [...]

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IRS Issues Guidance on 2009 Required Minimum Distribution Waiver
Mike Habib, EA
The Internal Revenue Service today provided guidance for retirement plan administrators, plan participants and retirees regarding recent legislation affecting required minimum distributions. The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 waives required minimum distributions for 2009 from certain retirement plans.
Generally, a required minimum distribution [...]

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Tax Relief Services for Union Members

We represent Union members before the IRS and their respective States in regards to tax matters such as back taxes, tax problem resolution, stopping wage garnishments, tax relief services, and IRS tax audits.
If you are a Union member of any of the following organizations and currently experiencing a tax [...]

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Back taxes shutters Jack in the Box
Source: Mercury-Register

A state tax dispute is behind the sudden Jack in the Box closures Thursday.
A press release issued this morning indicated that owner Abe Alizadeh, president of Kobra Properties, has temporarily closed the restaurants.
Alizadeh owns 70 Jacks in northern and central California, including ones in Chico, Paradise and [...]

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California – Corporate Income Tax: FTB Has Begun Contacting Return Nonfilers for 2007
The California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has begun contacting more than 35,000 companies that did business in California in 2007, but failed to file a California corporation franchise or income tax return for that year. Businesses contacted by the FTB will have 30 [...]

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IRS Appeals mediation program
A new IRS revenue procedure updates Rev Proc 2002-44, 2002-2 CB 10, which formally established a mediation procedure for cases at the IRS Appeals administrative level. The new revenue procedure expands and clarifies the types of cases that may be mediated by Appeals. Generally, the program is available for cases in [...]

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What is Self-Employment Tax?
Self-employment tax (SE tax) is a social security and Medicare tax primarily for individuals who work for themselves. It is similar to the social security and Medicare taxes withheld from the pay of most wage earners.
You figure SE tax yourself using Schedule SE (Form 1040). Social security and Medicare taxes of most [...]

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California – Multiple Taxes: Wildfire Relief Extended to Taxpayers in Three More Counties
For taxes and fees they each administer, the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) and the Employment Development Department (EDD) have extended relief to qualifying taxpayers and fee payers who have been affected by wildfires in the counties of Los Angeles, Monterey, and [...]

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CEO of Long Distance Phone Service Reseller Personally Liable for Unremitted Taxes (Brinskele, FedCl)
An individual who was the chairman, president and CEO (”the CEO”) of a company that resold long distance telephone service had to pay the IRS an assessed penalty plus interest. The term “markup,” in the context of the litigation, referred to the [...]

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IRS May Mine Mortgage Data To Flush Out Tax Cheats
Source: Dow Jones
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The Internal Revenue Service might scrutinize mortgage interest data more closely to help catch tax cheats, after prompting from an IRS auditor.
The tax collector said it will study whether it should make greater use of mortgage interest data provided to the [...]

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IRS to Receive Unprecedented Amount of Information in UBS Agreement
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Justice today announced the successful negotiation of an agreement that will result in the IRS receiving an unprecedented amount of information on United States holders of accounts at the Swiss bank UBS.
As a result of this [...]

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Kentucky Severe Storms and Flooding Victims May Qualify for IRS Disaster Relief
Indianapolis — Victims of recent severe storms flooding in Kentucky may qualify for tax relief from the Internal Revenue Service.
Following severe storms, flooding and straight-line winds on Aug. 4, 2009, the President declared Jefferson county a federal disaster area qualifying for individual assistance.
As a [...]

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IRS Urgent Letters and Notices That YOU MUST ATTEND TO
Mike Habib, EA
IRS Audit & Examination Letters
Letter 525 – General 30 Day Letter
This letter accompanies a report giving you a computation of the proposed adjustments to your tax return. It informs you of the courses of action to take if you do not agree with the [...]

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Tax Relief
No one looks forward to the tax filing season. This period is associated with endless paperwork and sorting through receipts and other documents to get your tax accounts in order. And even with the use of tax programs, you are still at risk of encountering errors that can get you in the spot light [...]

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IRS Reminds Taxpayers to Take Advantage of Recovery Act Benefits

WASHINGTON — With 2009 now half over, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to take advantage of the numerous tax breaks made available earlier this year in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The recovery law provides tax incentives for first-time homebuyers, people [...]

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Drywall victims could get tax relief
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Internal Revenue Service has declared that residents whose homes have been severely damaged by Chinese drywall may qualify for special tax deductions.
Homeowners may be able to claim a casualty loss on their tax returns if they have Chinese drywall that emits an unusual or severe [...]

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Hawaii Cash Economy Enforcement Act of 2009

On June 18, 2009, Governor Linda Lingle signed Senate Bill 972 SD2, HD1, CD1 into law as Act 134, the “Cash Economy Enforcement Act of 2009.”

This Act provides the department with additional resources and tools to target high-risk, cash-based transactions to shore up confidence in Hawaii’s tax [...]

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IRS Releases List of Transactions of Interest (Notice 2009-55)
The IRS has provided a list of transactions that have been identified by the Service as “transactions of interest.” The IRS will consider transactions similar to any of the transactions on the list to be transactions of interest for purposes of Code Secs. 6111, 6112, 6662A, 6707, [...]

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Oregon: Tax Amnesty Program Enacted
Gov. Ted Kulongoski has signed legislation that authorizes the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) to initiate a tax amnesty program for taxpayers subject to the corporation excise (income) tax, the personal income tax, the inheritance tax, and the mass transit district tax on self-employment. The program will begin on October 1, [...]

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