2012 Whistleblower Awards Top $125 Million

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This week the IRS announced that it paid out a total of $125 million in whistleblower claims during 2012 compared to only $8 million in 2011.  But this flashy statistic is not quite as incredible as you might think.  The IRS paid $104 million of that to a single whistleblower, Mr. Bradley Birkenfeld.  Birkenfeld was the guy who blew the whistle on USB which led to a $780 million settlement between the bank and the Federal Government.

If we exclude Birkenfeld, the IRS paid out $21 million in whistleblower claims last year.  Still pretty impressive, but not earth-shattering.  Perhaps a more telling statistic would be the number of whistleblower cases they closed or the average length.  The IRS is still taking far too long to complete their investigations — usually a few years from start to finish.  According to the Whistleblower Office’s annual report to congress, the typical whistleblower tax case sits in the “Award Evaluation” stage of review for 1141 days!

OIC Pre-Qualifier Tool

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The IRS is all about automating everything as much as possible, which isn’t always a good thing.  Just ask the National Taxpayer Advocate, Nina Olsen.  She has always been a big critic of this trend.  One of the problems with taking away the “human element” is that cases tend to get handled incorrectly and unfairly.  After all, cases are made up of actual human beings with unique circumstances, and computer programs don’t always have the sophistication to consider unique circumstances.

A case in point is the IRS’ new “Offer in Compromise Pre-Qualifier Tool.”  What it looks like is an attempt to automate the Offer in Compromise (OIC) process.  All you do is plug in your personal financial information and, BOOM! you’re in.  Ok, that’s not fair.  It doesn’t quite work that way.  In fact, the IRS is careful to say that the tool should only be used as a guide and that their final decision is based on the paperwork that is submitted.  But it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine the IRS enhancing this offer in compromise pre qualifier tool and fully automating the OIC process somewhere down the line.

The pre-qualifier tool takes the taxpayer through 5 main steps, each step containing a series of specific questions:

  1. Basic Information – These are the “deal breakers” that normally result in an OIC being automatically returned (such as missing tax returns or an open bankruptcy)
  2. Assets – Questions about equity in bank accounts, real property, cars, etc.
  3. Income – Monthly income from all sources
  4. Expenses – Actual monthly expenses subject to IRS maximum allowances
  5. Proposal – This is the “MSRP” — the magic number that, if offered to the IRS, may result in an accepted offer

I guess we’ll know how hazardous this tool is when people start ordering an OIC from their tax attorney like they order a sandwich: “One OIC please; I know I qualify because I used the OIC Pre-Qualifier Tool.”

An IRS January Tradition

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On Thursday the IRS announced a massive nation-wide identity theft crackdown, and I believe I’m starting to see a pattern now. Around the end of December each year we tend to get together with our extended families to drink eggnog, decorate trees, exchange gifts, and engage in various other annual family traditions. Well, the IRS appears to have a tradition of its own, although far less jolly than ours. Each January the IRS gets together with the Department of Justice and the US Attorney to sweep the nation for tax cheats — not exactly the kind of party you want to be invited to.

Here are the results of this years’ festivities:

  • the “sweep” involved 32 states and 215 cities
  • 734 enforcement actions (2,400 total in fiscal year 2012)
  •  109 arrests
  • 189 indictments
  • 47 search warrants
  • visits to 197 money service businesses (i.e., check cashing joints)

Read about specific cases here.

There is no doubt the IRS is strengthening its identity theft prevention and prosecution efforts.  Last year there were only 69 indictments and 58 arrests.  Sentencings are also on the rise, and jail times are getting longer.

The IRS is spending an unprecedented amount of resources on identity theft.  Perhaps the best evidence is the dramatic increase in criminal identity theft investigations:

  • 276 criminal identity theft investigations started in 2011
  • 898 criminal identity theft investigations started in 2012
  • 560 criminal identity theft investigations started so far in 2013

I’m not sure how they would do it, but the IRS could probably do a better job publishing this information and these stats.  It’s great that they’re stepping up efforts to punish identity theives, and the timing is perfect (right as people begin getting their taxes done), but if it’s only the tax attorneys and other tax professionals who are in the know, I would consider it a big opportunity lost.

The IRS' Human Capital Problems

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TIGTA’s latest audit report discusses the issue of human capital at the Internal Revenue Service.  Human capital consists of the skills, abilities, and contributions of the employees in an organization, and it is interconnected with key functions like hiring, training, and retention.  In this day and age, any discussion of human capital in our government necessarily must also include a discussion of funding.  Sure, human capital has always been an investment, but these days there is so little money to invest.

I think one of the most alarming issues identified in this report, at least from the perspective of a tax attorney, has to do with staffing.  The IRS is quickly losing its most valuable employees.  I don’t know if the IRS will ever be able to significantly reduce turnover with the rank and file.  Phone operators and other service center employees don’t get paid much and their jobs tend to be very stressful.  These just aren’t career / lifetime positions.  But that’s not the primary concern when it comes to staffing.  The bigger issue is the inevitable loss of managers and executives since changes in leadership can have an impact on all other IRS jobs.

This is what I found in TIGTA’s report that really blew me away:

[M]ore than one-third of all executives and almost 20 percent of nonexecutive managers are currently eligible for retirement. IRS data indicate that within five fiscal years, nearly 70 percent of all IRS executives and nearly one-half of the IRS’s nonexecutive managers are projected to be eligible for retirement. Overall, about 40 percent of the IRS’s employees will be retirement eligible within five fiscal years.

Executive positions are not easy to fill; it is critical that the IRS finds the right people to take over when the current executives retire.  In short, it takes a lot of human capital to ensure there will be enough human capital to go around in the future.  They will have their hands full during the next 5 years.

Before You Sign Your Tax Return

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Today the IRS released another installment in its “IRS Tax Tips” series, which is available in the Newsroom of the IRS website.  The IRS lists 10 things to keep in mind when selecting a tax preparer.  But perhaps the most important point is something that many may gloss over — the fact that the taxpayer, not the tax preparer, is legally responsible for what is on the return.  Failure to understand this can result in serious tax problems.

The signature on the return is more important than you might think.  The tax return is not considered complete, and will not be accepted, if it is not signed.  The IRS returns tax forms that are not signed or it sends a separate form that, if signed, has the same effect as a signed original form.  If you file electronically, then you also sign electronically by using a five-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN), which has the same force and effect as a signature made with paper and pen.

When you sign your tax return, you are attesting that the information contained in the return is complete and accurate whether you prepare it yourself or not.

If you have someone prepare your return, you are still responsible for the correctness of the return.

~ Form 1040 instructions

How many of us have carefully read the declaration in the signature box at the very bottom of the Form 1040?  This is what you’re promising when you sign:

Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined this return and accompanying schedules and statements, and to the best of my knowledge and belief, they are true, correct, and complete. Declaration of preparer (other than taxpayer) is based on all information of which preparer has any knowledge.

I can’t imagine many people review every single schedule and every page in any kind of detail, although they should.  It is self-evident that you should never sign a blank tax return (as the IRS points out in its Tax Tip) since you would be unable to truthfully declare that you have examined the return.

If you have a preparer who signs (or EA, CPA, tax attorney), the preparer’s attestation is normally based on what he/she has been given by the taxpayer (or by the IRS), whether it be verbal or documentary information.  The preparer is entitled to rely on that information in preparing the return.  However, as you can see, the preparer’s declaration is actually broader than that — the preparer is obligated to prepare an accurate return based on all information and any knowledge he/she might have.

Tax Accountant vs. Tax Attorney: Choosing a Professional Advisor

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How do you determine if your tax problem requires the skill and knowledge of an attorney, or whether the services of an accountant will suffice?

Both a tax accountant and a tax attorney can handle various tax issues with professional competence. However the skill sets and backgrounds of tax accountants and tax attorneys are different. It is important to consider this when choosing a tax professional to represent you before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

A “tax” accountant refers to an accountant whose specific focus is on the area of taxation. There are different types of accountants that can label themselves as a tax accountant. Accountants generally have a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Some accountants choose to pursue a master’s degree in either accounting or business administration. More advanced accountants have been certified by their state board of accountancy and are known as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). This distinction is important because not all tax accountants are CPAs.

Accountants are numbers driven. Day-to-day, most accountants prepare and analyze accounting records, financial statements, and tax documents. Tax accountants primarily focus on preparing and maintaining the records needed to accurately complete a tax return, and then completing the tax return itself. The use of tax accountant usually ensures that your tax return has been prepared accurately and that you accurately claimed any credits and deductions that were available to you in a given tax period. The use of a tax accountant will also usually ensure that your internal accounting practices are valid and that the information contained therein is complete.

A “tax” attorney before and above all else is an attorney. Attorneys have specific negotiation, research, and advocacy training and experience that allow them to achieve maximum results for their clients. Background wise, attorneys generally have an advanced doctorate degree and have passed intensive moral and competency examinations. Attorneys may become “tax” attorneys through practice and/or education.

Tax law is a specialized and technical field of practice, as the body of tax laws and tax issues are extensive enough to require a dedicated law practice. Tax attorneys can assist taxpayers in various types of tax issues ranging from tax preparation and strategy, to representation of a taxpayer in complex civil and criminal tax disputes. Additionally, the privilege for confidential communications between a tax attorney and their client is broader than the communication privilege applicable to non-attorney tax practitioners. The use of a tax attorney will usually ensure that you achieve the best results with your tax problem and that any related legal issues are properly identified.

Now that you know the basic differences between an accountant and a tax attorney, you may be able to better identify which type of tax professional that you need given your specific circumstances. If still unclear, both usually offer free consultations to determine whether you actually need their services.

IRS Not Concerned About Likes & Followers

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The IRS is still intent on growing its social media presence.  Yesterday it unveiled a Tumblr account, even though it has actually been quietly sitting around for about six months.  I’m not sure why the IRS waited until now to formally introduce it.  According to Mashable, nobody has paid much attention to IRS Tumblr, so maybe the Service was hoping to see some more activity first, but it never came.  I’m still not sure there’s much of a place for the IRS in social media, or mobile apps, or the like.  I think it’s hard for people to socialize, even virtually, about something so boring or loathesome (loathesome for those who have a tax debt, boring for those who don’t).

Isn’t all social media supposed to be a venue for sharing and discussion?  That’s the goal, right?  I don’t know, maybe I’m missing the point.  Maybe the IRS has different goals when it comes to social media:

 The new Tumblr platform is part of a larger effort at the IRS to get information to taxpayers when and where they want it.

~ Terry Lemons, IRS Communications Director

If their objective is to “spread the word” and make tax information available, I suppose they’re doing a decent job at it.  So, while the IRS has only 33,274 Twitter followers*, its Facebook page has only about 9,600 likes (probably a vast majority are tax attorneys, accountants, and the like), and it’s had a rather dismal Tumblr debut, I think the stated goal of getting information to people “when and where they want it” is being achieved.  The IRS seems pretty content with their 3.1 million YouTube video views.

The bottom line, I think, is that you can’t measure the success of IRS’ social media campaign by counting likes and followers.  Not many people “like” the IRS so why would they care to follow them?  What visitors probably do is they get what they need and move along.  No committment, no lasting relationship, and very little actual socializing.  I suppose it’s no surprise people would want to keep their distance virtually, much like they do in real life; normally the less of a role the IRS has in your life, the better.

*33,274 Twitter followers is pretty crappy considering the IRS, in one way or another, impacts pretty much every household in the country.  Compare this to the 380,666 San Francisco Giants followers on Twitter, a team that nobody pays much attention to outside of California.  And never mind the 33.6 million people around the world who hang on every word produced by Justin Bieber’s two thumbs.

Offer in Compromise: Don't File Just Because You Can

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A tax attorney hears all kinds of stories about errors committed by tax preparers or injustices perpetrated by the IRS.  People often ask me (sometimes jokingly) “Can I sue them?”  My answer is usually, “No, you don’t have a cause of action;” or “No, you don’t have any real damages;” or “No, they are protected by the contract that you signed.”  But technically my response should be “Yes, you can, however…”

You can always file a lawsuit.  The question is how far is it going to get you?  If you file a frivilous lawsuit, chances are it won’t get you very far.  If an initial assessment is not done to determine the strength of your case and the likelihood of success, there is a higher likelihood that it will be dismissed.  Depending on the circumstances, filing a frivilious lawsuit could also result in you having to cough up money for sanctions and attorneys fees.

Although I have never seen anybody sanctioned or penalized for filing a frivilous Offer in Compromise (OIC), the same principle applies: you have to take a careful look at the strength of your case before you decide to file.  And I cannot overemphasize the value of having a trained set of eyes — preferably a tax attorney or an experienced CPA — to help you with this important step.  These are just some of the negative consequences of filing an OIC that is ultimately rejected:

  • Loss of $150 filing fee
  • Loss of 20% OIC deposit (applied to outstanding balance)
  • Loss of time involved in preparing and negotiating (typically no less than 6 months, and often closer to 12 months from start to finish)
  •  Lengthening of the Collection Statute Expiration Date / Statute of Limitations on collections (the time period is paused when the offer is filed/”pending” and does not start to run again until 30 days after it is returned or rejected)
  • Penalties and interest continue to accrue during the time your OIC is pending, and must be paid if the offer is not accepted

There are many disreputable tax resolution firms that will “sell you” an Offer in Compromise service without doing their due diligence on the front end.  First, they know you want to settle your case for less than what you owe.  Second, they really only care about closing the deal.  And third, they know that anyone can file an OIC by simply filling out the right forms and attaching the right fees.  When considering who you should hire for tax resolution services, look for somebody who offers a free and thorough consultation before any work is done on your case.  Find somebody with enough integrity to help you determine the best way to resolve your case, rather than just tell you what you want to hear.

So, the question should not be “Can I sue?” or “Can I file and OIC?”  The better question is “If I sue, what is the likelihood of success?” or “If I file an OIC, what is the chance the IRS will accept it?”

"Where’s My Refund?" v. 2.0

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Even with all the shenanigans this year* the IRS decided to upgrade the “Where’s My Refund?” tool that taxpayers often use to track the status of their federal income tax refund and promised that refund processing times will not be adversely affected.  In previous years Where’s My Refund? (“WMR?”) generated an estimated refund receipt date for you based on the fact that 90% of all refunds are processed and delivered within 21 days of the date that you file (assuming you file electronically, which almost everybody does these days).

This year, the IRS claims that “WMR?” will be able to ascertain an “actual personalized refund date.”  Now I’m not sure exactly what this means.  Is it personalized in the sense that it records the date that your return was processed and then adds 21 days, or is the tool more sophisticated than that?

The new version of “WMR?” breaks your refund progress down into three stages (available as soon as 24 hours after you e-file your return):

  1. Return Received
  2. Refund Approved
  3. Refund Sent

There is no information from the IRS about what happens when they encounter problems in the processing of a return.  For instance, if mistakes are found on the return and a refund is not approved, will “WMR?” inform the taxpayer of the hiccup, will it remain stuck on the “Return Received” stage, or will the tool simply stop working?

Here are some “WMR?” tips from the IRS:

  • Don’t try using it before January 30th, even if you’ve already filed.  It won’t work until the 30th.
  • Don’t call.  The IRS claims “WMR?” provides the most complete and up-to-date information about your refund claim and if you call to ask a customer service rep, they will be able to tell you no more than what you already know.  As a tax attorney who is on the phone with the IRS every day, I can certainly vouch for that!
  • Don’t check more than once a day.  Information in the “WMR?” tool is updated overnight and only once every 24 hours, so checking in every couple hours will only slow things down for everyone else.

*It is bold of the IRS to promise more precise refund tracking given the fact that (1) they have spent so much effort integrating the “fiscal cliff” legislation that recently passed and things could still be “buggy;” (2) they have been beefing up security filters that are meant to minimize refund fraud and admit that this will cause some refunds to be delayed; and (3) hundreds of thousands of taxpayers will potentially hire incompetent, unregistered (*Gasp*) return preparers this year due to their return preparer registration program being shot to pieces by a federal judge in D.C.

Court Shoots Down IRS Return Preparer Certification Program

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If you follow current events in the world of tax relief and tax preparation, you probably heard about the federal district court decision permanently enjoining the IRS from enforcing its 2011 tax return preparer regulations.  The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the IRS lacked authority to regulate tax return preparer certification programs — 
such authority would have to be granted by Congress.

The IRS Return Preparer Initiative would have required thousands of non-professional return preparers across the country to pass minimum competency exams, pay a fee, and complete minimum education requirements.  In fact, many return preparers did take the exam and pay the fee, all for naught apparently.  The initiative did not seek to regulate the CPA, tax attorney, or enrolled agent.

Large tax prep companies like Intuit (TurboTax), Jackson Hewitt, and H&R Block disapprove of the decision; you can probably guess why.  They will tell you that it hurts taxpayers who unwarily hire incompetent return preparers, but we know their only concern is the bottom line and weeding out as much competition as possible.  Of course, the “mom & pop” tax prep firms see this court decision as a big victory.

Some believe that voluntary certification is a better solution.  Voluntary certification would still raise the bar for tax preparers and the industry in general, but in a more “free market” sort of way.  Tax preparers would decide on their own to certify, or not to certify.  And individuals seeking tax help would decide on their own to hire a certified preparer, or take their chances with someone else.

At this point it is not clear whether the IRS will appeal the decision.  Read the IRS official statement here.