Stand Up to the IRS

Table of Contents......Page 9
1. Inside the IRS: What You Need to Know About IRS Operations......Page 15
IRS Inefficiency......Page 19
Communicating With the IRS......Page 20
Rules of the Game—Tax Laws......Page 23
Interpreting the Tax Code......Page 24
Self-Assessment of Income Taxes......Page 25
Winning the IRS Game......Page 26
2. Filing Tax Returns: If You Haven’t Filed and Other Concerns......Page 29
How Long Must You Worry About Not Filing a Tax Return?......Page 30
Consequences of Not Filing......Page 31
It’s Better to File Before the IRS Contacts You......Page 35
What Will Happen When You File Late......Page 38
Requesting an Extension to File......Page 40
Filing a Return When You Can’t Pay What You Owe......Page 42
Reducing the Chance of an Audit When Filing......Page 43
Amending Tax Returns......Page 44
A Word About “Aggressive” Tax Filing......Page 45
3. Winning Your Audit......Page 49
How Long Do I Have to Worry About an Audit?......Page 52
Audit Selection—Why Me, O Lord?......Page 54
When the IRS Increases Your Tax Bill Without an Audit......Page 63
Types of IRS Audits......Page 71
How an Auditor Approaches an Examination......Page 86
Preparing for an Audit......Page 89
Who Should Attend the Audit?......Page 91
How to Act at an Audit......Page 93
Finishing Audits......Page 105
Serious Audit Problems......Page 116
4. Appealing Your Audit Within the IRS......Page 127
Pros and Cons of Appealing an Audit......Page 128
How to Appeal an Audit......Page 129
How the Appeals Office Works......Page 135
Preparing for an Appeals Hearing......Page 137
Presenting a Case to an Appeals Officer......Page 139
Negotiating a Settlement......Page 141
If You Don’t Settle on Appeal......Page 147
5. Going to Tax Court: No Lawyer Necessary......Page 149
Tax Court Facts......Page 151
Small Tax Cases—People’s Court......Page 152
Regular Tax Court Cases—Over $50,000......Page 166
Other Federal Courts—Paying First Is Required......Page 167
Appealing to Higher Courts......Page 169
6. When You Owe the IRS: Keeping the Tax Collector at Bay......Page 171
When You Can’t Pay With Your Tax Return......Page 176
IRS Tax Billing Process......Page 177
IRS Automated Collection System......Page 179
Revenue Officers—Front Line Collectors of the IRS......Page 184
Offers in Compromise—Settling Tax Bills for Pennies on the Dollar......Page 204
Using the Bankruptcy Code to Stop the IRS......Page 218
Protecting Your Assets From the IRS......Page 224
Suspending Collection of Your Tax Bill......Page 225
7. IRS Enforced Collection: Liens and Levies......Page 227
Tax Liens......Page 229
Tax Levies......Page 234
Assets the IRS Can’t or Won’t Seize......Page 235
Avoiding a Levy......Page 239
Getting a Tax Levy Released......Page 242
IRS Sales of Levied Assets......Page 245
8. The Taxpayer Advocate: A Friend at the IRS......Page 251
Who Qualifies for Help From a Taxpayer Advocate?......Page 252
Contacting the Taxpayer Advocate Service......Page 255
Emergency Help: Taxpayer Assistance Orders......Page 257
9. Family, Friends, Heirs, and the IRS......Page 261
It’s a Family Affair......Page 262
Owning Property Jointly......Page 268
Death and Taxes......Page 270
10. Fraud and Tax Crimes: Do You Really Have to Worry?......Page 277
If You Are Caught Cheating......Page 278
IRS Criminal Investigations......Page 283
If You Are Prosecuted......Page 289
11. Small Businesses/Self-Employed: When IRS Trouble Comes......Page 293
Employees or Independent Contractors?......Page 294
Payroll Taxes—IRS Dynamite......Page 299
The Dreaded Trust Fund Recovery Penalty......Page 300
Cash Transactions Over $10,000......Page 308
12. Penalties and Interest......Page 311
Penalties Added to Tax Bills......Page 312
Understanding Penalty and Interest Notices......Page 314
Reducing or Eliminating Penalties and Interest......Page 315
Designating Voluntary Tax Payments......Page 321
13. Help Beyond the Book: Tax Professionals and Tax Information......Page 323
Finding and Using a Tax Professional......Page 324
Tax Professionals and Audits......Page 329
Hiring a Tax Return Preparer......Page 330
Researching Tax Questions......Page 331
14. When You Owe State Income Taxes......Page 337
Does Your State Have a Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights?......Page 338
State Tax Collection Departments......Page 339
State Tax Bills......Page 340
When All Else Fails, Try Your Political Connections......Page 342
15. The Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights......Page 345
Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights I......Page 346
Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights II......Page 347
Taxpayer Bill of Rights III......Page 349
16. The 25 Most Frequently Asked Questions......Page 357
Glossary of Tax Terms......Page 367
Index......Page 375
Related Products......Page 393