Tuesday, Oct 13th, 2020
If I had a dime for each time it’s come up. The W-2G reporting does not match the legal dividing line between gambling wins and losses, which may be unimportant for most taxpayers at the federal level, but which is very important for Minnesota and Wisconsin tax.
Tuesday, Jun 11th, 2019
Nice to be able to weigh in on tax issues in the news. https://apnews.com/b49ee5604ec2435a90945820b7c973eb
Tuesday, May 14th, 2019
Under Minn.Stat. §270.56 subd. 3(b), with respect to personal liability orders from the Department of Revenue, if the original appeal date is missed, the taxpayer may be able to ‘get back into the game’ procedurally by making a partial payment within 3.5 years of the initial order, and requesting a refund. This can be a… Read more »
Thursday, Aug 30th, 2018
The MN DOR is conducting restaurant sales-tax audits using a ‘test sale’ approach. Prior to the civil audit, the MN DOR sends in its agents as covert purchasers, and then, without disclosing the covert purchases to the taxpayer, the MN DOR demands detailed POS system data. If the covert purchases are not in the POS… Read more »
Friday, May 18th, 2018
Nice to get quoted in the StarTribune. http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-capitol-standoff-fuels-worries-about-chaotic-tax-season-next-year/482922611/
Wednesday, Apr 18th, 2018
The extra day for filing this year is due to Emancipation Day, April 16, which is a holiday in the District of Columbia. One of the quainter quirks of the Internal Revenue Code is that a filing that is due by a particular date, if that particular date is a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday in… Read more »
Monday, Apr 3rd, 2017
Well, whether it’s a good idea or a bad idea, the Internal Revenue Service now has the power to cause passport non-renewal or revocation for certain taxpayers with balances above $50,000, under I.R.C. §7435. The IRS website has a page devoted to the issue. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/revocation-or-denial-of-passport-in-case-of-certain-unpaid-taxes I have noticed that the IRS notices are starting to carry… Read more »
Friday, Nov 13th, 2015
Another client recently first became aware of a MN tax debt through a collection notice – the client never received the original Commissioner’s Order. MN practice is to send out the Commissioner’s Order through ordinary first-class mail, not certified mail. On the IRS side, the analogous Notice of Deficiency, or the Final Notice of Intent… Read more »
Thursday, Aug 29th, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/us/politics/irs-to-recognize-all-gay-marriages-regardless-of-state.html?hp&_r From the New York Times.
Sunday, Nov 11th, 2012
If you want to work on your tax situation, you should not hire out-of-state ‘tax resolution’ companies. The link is to an article in Forbes describing why. Minnesota attorneys (and CPAs) are locally licensed and regulated. http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnovack/2012/03/18/owe-the-irs-taxmasters-bankruptcy-shows-why-not-to-get-help-from-tv-pitchmen/
Thursday, Jul 19th, 2012
Well, in a major shift on one of my promoter penalty cases, IRS National Office, which had issued a formal opinion to the contrary, in the midst of litigation reversed itself and allowed the alleged promoter to challenge the merits of the promoter penalties in CDP litigation, without the prior payment of a percentage of… Read more »
Tuesday, Jun 5th, 2012
A recurring issue with collection of employment taxes. Corporation A owes employment taxes but ceases business. Corporation A has one owner, Mr. B, who has been impoverished through the collapse of the business of Corporation A. The IRS moves against the assets of Corporation A for payment. The poverty of Mr. B is irrelevant to… Read more »
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
We have changed our physical office location (as shown on the contact page): U.S. Bank Building 101 E. Fifth Street, Suite 910 St. Paul, MN 55101 The prior phone, fax, and email remain the same. We are still in downtown St. Paul, because there is no better city to work in.
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012
Interesting to note that apparently (after Westlaw searches for the term) Minnesota courts have not issued a tax opinion either accepting or rejecting equitable recoupment, the federal tax principle under which the taxpayer may raise time-barrred refund/credit claims to offset tax assessments based on the same transaction, e.g. Estate of Orenstein v. Commissioner, T.C.Memo. 2000-150 (taxpayer… Read more »
Saturday, Mar 31st, 2012
It’s interesting how much bleaker the situation is on the Minnesota level, as compared with the federal level, for the taxpayer who fails to receive a notice of tax determination – Commissioner’s Order from Minnesota, Notice of Deficiency from the IRS. At the federal level, the Notice of Deficiency is sent certified mail as a… Read more »
Friday, Mar 2nd, 2012
Our latest WCCO radio ad, playing various weekdays in the morning, and during The Real Estate Radio Hour on Saturday mornings 10-11 am and Your Money Sunday mornings 8:30-9:30 am. Eric Johnson Tax Attorney 21312 (4)
Wednesday, Feb 29th, 2012
Sat through another federal audit where the examiner explained that the negligence penalty under I.R.C. §6662 is a “compliance penalty”, applicable to every case except where the taxpayer disproves it. It is worth noting that the initial burden for showing a basis for the penalty is on the IRS, not on the taxpayer. I.R.C. §7491(c)…. Read more »
Monday, Jan 16th, 2012
It should be noted that there is a reasonable cause exception to failure-to-deposit penalties for employment tax purposes, although IRS personnel sometimes suggest otherwise. I.R.C. §6656(a). It involves a showing that business cash flow prevented timely deposit of employment taxes. See, Diamond Plating Co. v. United States, 390 F.3d 1035 (7th Cir. 2004); Van Camp… Read more »
Wednesday, Nov 16th, 2011
An interesting aspect of federal income tax procedure is the power of the IRS to impose ‘mathematical or clerical error’ assessments without going through the standard deficiency procedures necessary prior to assessment. Under standard deficiency procedures, prior to an income tax assessment the IRS must go through a series of procedural hurdles, including the issuance… Read more »
Tuesday, Oct 4th, 2011
It’s worth noting: Minnesota is vastly increasing its criminal tax enforcement, especially for chronic non-filers.
