Taxes

Every now and again, a case comes across your desk that makes you say, “Whoa.” Alon Farhy v. Commissioner is just such a case. The U.S. Tax Court gave Farhy a win, ruling that the IRS could not collect from him in this instance—the IRS had no statutory authority to assess penalties under section 6038.

With the release of the IRS’ strategic operating plan (you can read about it here), there has been a lot of conversation about enforcement. Specifically, there are worries that the IRS will use extra funding from Congress to target working families and small businesses making under $400,000—a charge that both Treasury Secretary Yellen and IRS

Tax Day is just around the corner. The Tax Deadline to file your 2022 taxes is April 18, 2023. If you cannot complete your taxes by the tax filing deadline, you can request an automatic six-month extension to file your taxes. If you were wondering, the deadline to apply for a tax extension also falls

Commonly, a businesses’ main concern is filing its tax returns. Although this makes sense, it is not wise, business owners must implement systems now for certain deductions and credits they plan to take in the future. To assist taxpayers, Congress offers incentives through deductions and credits. A deduction is an amount that you deduct from

Progressive mayors in Boston and Los Angeles have been joined by Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, all hoping not only to change criminal justice but also spend more on affordable housing, child care, education, and other progressive polices. But these progressives (along with a significant number of centrist mayors) will face serious budget and political challenges that

Still haven’t filed your taxes? There are certainly better ways to spend a weekend but if your plans include tackling your annual Form 1040 and you missed Tuesday’s “Ask Me Anything” session, keep reading for a recap of some of the questions and answers and more information for last-minute filers. Do I Need To File

Social Security is routinely clawing back benefits it claims it paid by mistake over years if not decades. This policy is cruel and unusual. It’s based on Social Security’s despicable mantra: Our mistake is your mistake. It leaves 77 million Social Security recipients living in constant fear of having benefits received for years, if not

The IRS may have your money. The tax agency has announced that more than $1.5 billion in outstanding refunds remain unclaimed from the 2019 tax year. The agency estimates that more than 1.5 million taxpayers might have qualified for a refund but did not file a federal income tax return for the 2019 tax year.

Social Security benefits automatically convert to standard retirement benefits at full retirement age (FRA) and this retirement benefit can then be suspended. Here’s the story of one disability benefit recipient’s frustrating attempts to do so. I asked James (a pseudonym) to write up his experience in trying to suspend his retirement benefit starting with his

As Tax Day gets closer—April 18, 2023—many taxpayers are looking for ways to put a dent in their tax bills. To benefit from most tax-favored moves for 2022, like making a charitable contribution or buying new technology for the office, you needed to have taken action by December 31, 2022. But there’s a significant exception

Timing is everything. That was the lesson learned in a recent Tax Court case that resulted in a lost charitable deduction and capital gains tax. Here’s what happened. Background Commercial Steel Treating Corp., or CSTC, was founded in 1927 by the Hoensheid family. Over the years, the company performed well and remained in the family.

Tax Notes contributing editor Robert Goulder discusses the history of bank secrecy, Credit Suisse’s role in it, and the bank’s recent collapse. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. David D. Stewart: Welcome to the podcast. I’m David Stewart, editor in chief of Tax Notes Today International. This week: Can you keep a

On August 15, 1971, President Nixon unveiled a package of economic policies to jump-start a sluggish economy. His message featured a range of proposals, some rather tepid and conventional, others quite dramatic and controversial. It was the latter that gave rise to the name later used to describe the speech: the Nixon Shock. After the

Unless you’ve been involved in a lawsuit, you may not know about structured settlements. You may have heard of them on late night TV. “It’s your money,” some TV ads will exclaim. “Cash in your structured settlement and use your money now!” These TV ads are from factoring companies that buy up lawsuit structured settlements,

From what we can tell, Social Security is sending clawback bills to tens of thousands of Americans for mistakes it made. Social Security’s policy is cruel and unusual. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president of Economic Security Planning, Inc. Social Security is clawing back benefits it

Over the past couple of weeks, the IRS has been rolling out its list of tax scams for 2023. Now that the IRS annual Dirty Dozen campaign has wrapped, here’s a look at what taxpayers should watch out for this year. Dirty Dozen The “Dirty Dozen” is an annual list of common scams taxpayers may

Today’s Social Security column addresses questions about how earning less money before filing can affect benefit rates, how survivor benefits are calculated if the record holder had not yet filed and whether or not to suspend a benefit at FRA. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and the founder and president

April 7 marks the day that beer was allowed to be legally manufactured and sold following a long, dry Prohibition. On March 22, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Cullen–Harrison Act into law, which moved the US away from Prohibition by allowing the manufacture and sale of beer that was approximately 4% alcohol by volume

A short grantor trust walks into a bar. After a few too many drinks he starts flirting with a pretty beneficiary, promising her a step up in his assets. But before he seals the deal, the bartender pulls the stool out from under him, shouting, “Get out! You’ve got no basis stepping up here.” “Based

Thought you wanted to be a millionaire? The “Billionaire Tax” might cause you to reconsider. All American earners are subject to federal income taxes, but not everyone is subject to the same tax rate. While middle-class Americans pay, on average, roughly 14% in federal taxes annually, the wealthiest American families frequently use loopholes to avoid