News and Events

It’s the Holiday Season, and that means that tax season is right around the corner. It also means that U.S. taxpayers need to be careful to protect themselves from tax scams. The IRS notes that “[i]n recent years, tax schemes and scams have been on the rise,” and it is warning taxpayers about two types of schemes, in particular, this year. US International Tax Advisors, explains:

For taxpayers who own offshore bank accounts and other foreign financial assets, filing a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) is an important part of federal tax compliance. Taxpayers whose accounts exceed the statutory thresholds must file FBARs on an annual basis, and failure to do so can lead to steep penalties. So, what if you haven’t met your FBAR filing obligations? US International Tax Advisors explains:

The deadline to file FBARs for the 2020 tax year expired on October 15, 2021. For taxpayers who missed the deadline, simply filing late can have significant negative consequences. However, there are a few options available for remedying delinquent FBAR filings—including one option that eligible taxpayers can use to avoid penalties entirely. US International Tax Advisors, explains:

The IRS recently announced that it has awarded new contracts to three private-sector collection agencies. According to the IRS, “[b]eginning Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, taxpayers with unpaid tax bills may be contacted by one of [these] agencies,” regarding collection. As US International Tax Advisors explains, facing the collection of unpaid federal tax debt is a serious matter, and taxpayers who dispute their tax liability or are unable to pay should not simply ignore these agencies’ efforts to contact them.

Since the early days of the pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division (IRS CI) has been targeting individuals and companies suspected of COVID-related tax fraud. Now, more than a year and a half later, IRS CI is continuing to pursue a large number of investigations focused on violations of the CARES Act and other pandemic relief statutes. Taxpayers targeted in these investigations must defend themselves by all means available, and this starts with hiring an experienced Maryland criminal tax attorney.