|
|
Confronting the IRS
The IRS Ambush
Most people are surprised when the IRS comes knocking at
the door. Typically, the Revenue Officer ("collection IRS employee) or Revenue Agent ("auditor")starts asking questions
and demands to enter the house. That is where the taxpayer makes
crucial errors. The most important thing that the taxpayer can
do is to stop the Revenue Officer and state the taxpayer is represented
by a tax professional. Get a business card or write down the
name, address, and telephone number of the Revenue Officer. Do not
say anything other than, "my tax consultant will call you."
Say Nothing!
The Revenue Officer is trained to trick taxpayers into making
damaging admissions which could hurt them in a later criminal trial.
For example, one trick question is to ask a delinquent taxpayer,
"didn't you know you had to file a return?". Or, "why didn't you
file your tax return?". If the taxpayer answers the question
it is an admission of knowledge that the return should be filed.
That admission has sent many unsuspecting citizens to jail.
Warn Your Family
Another method that Revenue Officers use is to quickly get
information from an unsuspecting spose or family member. For example,
the Revenue Officer may ask a spouse where the taxpayer works. The
Revenue Officer would then immediately prepare a wage execution to
take most of the taxpayers income before it is paid by the employer.
The Revenue Officer may also ask for banking information. If the
unsuspecting spouse or family member reveals the name of the bank, the
Revenue Officer then levies against the account, wiping out all
of the funds.
You Need a Tax Lawyer
The only intelligent way of handling the IRS is to not say
anything. Any conversations with the government should be with your
attorney present. In fact, many times it is better to have
your tax attorney exclusively talk with the IRS to prevent possibly
damaging admissions.
Call me, Ronald J. Cappuccio, J.D., LL.M.(Tax) at (856) 665-2121 for immediate assistance!
|
