In North Miami, Josue Pierre took a shortcut into the easy-money underworld of tax fraud by using an “electronic filing identification number” — EFIN for short, and stolen IDs to file hundreds of fabricated online tax returns. Questions: 1. Why does Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Berger say that using EFINs is like “tax fraud on… Read more »
Posts Tagged: IRS
Financial Worries Spark Divorce Settlement Appeals
In late 2014, oil tycoon Harold Hamm called a divorce settlement with his ex-wife, Sue Ann Arnall, equitable and fair, awarding her about $1 billion. Since then his holdings in oil have decreased dramatically and he argues that her award is a substantially larger proportion than he first agreed to. Questions: 1. Who is Harold… Read more »
Something doesn’t add up
As more companies become aware of the tax opportunity that Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands offer, more are taking advantage of it. According to the I.R.S. in 2004, companies with foreign income said 8 percent of that income came from those remarkable islands. But in 2010, the figure was 11 percent…. Read more »
Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2014
In an effort to remind taxpayers to use caution during tax season and protect themselves against a wide range of schemes, the IRS compiled a variety of common scams that taxpayers can encounter at any point during the year, but which are expected to increase during peak filing season this Spring. Questions: 1. Who criminally… Read more »
Is it wise to taunt the IRS and the Tampa Police Department on Facebook?
As accounting firms frantically work during this season to prepare 2013 tax returns, this story takes a look back at the story of the “Queen of Tax Fraud.” Rashida Wilson, a 27-year-old Tampa woman, who once taunted police and bragged about her ill-gotten millions on a social media website, won’t be a free woman until… Read more »
Massive Estate Planning Mistakes of Celebrities
[Marilyn Monroe]Consider the mistakes of these five celebrities when you make decisions about your estate or advise others about theirs. As Sheyna Steiner reports, problems in life may compound after death as creditors, heirs and the Internal Revenue Service come calling for their share of an estate. Questions: 1. After reading about these five celebrities,… Read more »
The Saga of Derek Jeter and Taxes
When I saw that Derek Jeter was in the news this week for changing residences from New York to Florida to lower his taxes, it made me wonder about what ever happened to Christian Lopez. Christian, a 23-year-old cellphone salesman from Highland Mills, N.Y, was the fan that caught Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit and returned… Read more »
The Disappearing Debt Suddenly Reappears!
Jackie Esposito, of Guilford, Conn., got a letter that said her debt with JPMorgan Chase was canceling the amount she owed on a home equity account. While most people would be excited to get such a letter, Ms. Esposito was not. That is because Ms. Esposito had the debt legally wiped out three years ago… Read more »
How to Earn $46,000 for Each Day Spent in Prison
Bradley Birkenfeld, the whistleblower in a tax fraud case against Swiss bank UBS AG, was awarded a record-setting $104 million reward from the IRS. Birkenfeld learned about the inner workings of UBS as an employee of the company and supplied many secrets about his former employer’s dealings with U.S. clients. Despite this, he was jailed… Read more »
Private Equity Firms and A Tax Strategy Investigation
Eric Schneiderman, the New York attorney general, is investigating abusive tax strategies at some of the nation’s largest private equity firms. As part of these efforts, last week, he subpoenaed documents from more than a dozen firms hoping to uncover conversion of certain management fees collected from their investors into fund investments, which are taxed… Read more »