Stand Up to the IRS

by Daily, Frederick W.

• ISBN13: 9781413309225
• ISBN10: 1413309224
• Edition: 10th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-02-20
• Publisher: Ingram Pub Services

Summary

The information and strategies you need to deal with the IRS. Named a Best Tax Book by Entrepreneur.com The Internal Revenue Service is the taxpayer's nightmare, and for good reason -- a tax bill or other notice can come out of nowhere and wreak havoc on your life.

Author Biography

Frederick W. Daily is a tax attorney with over 35 years experience helping individuals and small business owners make smart tax decisions and stay out of trouble with the IRS. He has been featured as a tax expert on Good Morning America and NPR, and in publications across the country including Money Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune. He is also the author of Tax Savvy for Small Business and Surviving an IRS Tax Audit.

Table of Contents

Your Companion for Dealing With the IRS	p. 1
Inside the IRS: What You Need to Know About IRS Operations	p. 3
IRS Inefficiency	p. 7
Communicating With the IRS	p. 8
Rules of the Game-Tax Laws	p. 10
Interpreting the Tax Code	p. 12
Self-Assessment of Income Taxes	p. 13
Winning the IRS Game	p. 13
Filing Tax Returns: If You Haven't Filed and Other Concerns	p. 17
How Long Must You Worry About Not Filing a Tax Return?	p. 18
Consequences of Not Filing	p. 19
It's Better to File Before the IRS Contacts You	p. 22
What Will Happen When You File Late	p. 25
Requesting an Extension to File	p. 28
Filing a Return When You Can't Pay What You Owe	p. 29
Filing a Tax Return When You Live Out of the United States	p. 30
Reducing the Chance of an Audit When Filing	p. 30
Amending Tax Returns	p. 32
A Word About "Aggressive" Tax Filing	p. 33
Winning Your Audit	p. 37
How Long Do I Have to Worry About an Audit?	p. 40
Do I Have to Learn Tax Law to Win My Audit?	p. 42
Audit Selection-Why Me, O Lord?	p. 42
When the IRS Increases Your Tax Bill Without an Audit	p. 51
Types of IRS Audits	p. 60
How an Auditor Approaches and Examination	p. 72
Preparing for an Audit	p. 75
Who Should Attend the Audit?	p. 77
How to Act at an Audit	p. 79
Finishing Audits	p. 91
Serious Audit Problems	p. 102
Appealing Your Audit Within the IRS	p. 113
Pros and Cons of Appealing an Audit	p. 114
How to Appeal an Audit	p. 115
How the Appeals Office Works	p. 121
Preparing for an Appeals Hearing	p. 122
Meeting the Appeals Officer	p. 124
Presenting a Case to an Appeals Officer	p. 124
Negotiating a Settlement	p. 126
Should You Hire a Tax Professional for Your Appeal?	p. 131
If You Don't Settle on Appeal	p. 132
Going to Tax Court: No Lawyer Necessary	p. 133
Tax Court Facts	p. 135
Small Tax Cases-People's Court	p. 135
Regular Tax Court Cases-Over $50,000	p. 149
Other Federal Courts-Paying First Is Required	p. 150
Bankruptcy Court	p. 152
Appealing to Higher Courts	p. 152
When You Owe the IRS: Keeping the Tax Collector at Bay	p. 155
When You Can't Pay Your Tax Return	p. 160
Getting Time to Pay After the Tax Bill Comes	p. 161
IRS Tax Billing Process	p. 161
IRS Automated Collection System	p. 163
Revenue Officers-Frontline Collectors of the IRS	p. 167
Offers in Compromise-Settling Tax Bills for Pennies on the Dollar	p. 188
Using the Bankruptcy Code to Stop the IRS	p. 202
Protecting Your Assets From the IRS	p. 207
Suspending Collection of Your Tax Bill	p. 209
IRS Enforced Collection: Liens and Levies	p. 211
Federal Tax Liens	p. 213
Tax Levies	p. 218
Assets the IRS Can't or Won't Seize	p. 219
Avoiding a Levy	p. 223
Getting a Tax Levy Released	p. 226
IRS Sales of Levied Assets	p. 228
The Taxpayer Advocate: A Friend at the IRS	p. 235
Who Qualifies for Help From a Taxpayer Advocate?	p. 236
Contacting the Taxpayer Advocate Service	p. 239
Emergency Help: Taxpayer Assistance Orders	p. 241
Family, Friends, Heirs, and the IRS	p. 245
It's Family Affair	p. 246
Owning Property Jointly	p. 252
Death and Taxes	p. 253
Fraud and Tax Crimes: Do You Really Have to Worry?	p. 259
How People Cheat on Their Taxes	p. 260
If You Are Caught Cheating	p. 260
IRS Criminal Investigations	p. 265
If You Are Prosecuted	p. 271
Small Business/Self-Employed: When IRS Trouble Comes	p. 275
Self-Employed-You're a Prime Audit Target	p. 276
Employees or Independent Contractors?	p. 276
Payroll Taxes-IRS Dynamite	p. 280
The Dreaded Trust Fund Recovery Penalty	p. 281
Cash Transactions Over $10,000	p. 289
Penalties and Interest	p. 291
Penalties Added to Tax Bills	p. 292
Interest on Tax Bills	p. 294
Understanding Penalty and Interest Notices	p. 294
Reducing or Eliminating Penalties and Interest	p. 295
Designating Late Tax Payments	p. 301
Help Beyond the Book: Tax Professionals and Tax Information	p. 303
Finding and Using a Tax Professional	p. 304
Tax Professionals and Audits	p. 309
Hiring a Tax Return Preparer	p. 310
Research Tax Questions	p. 311
When You Owe State Income Taxes	p. 317
The IRS and State Taxing Authorities	p. 318
Does Your State Have a Taxpayer Bill of Rights?	p. 318
State Time Limits to Assess and Collect Income Taxes	p. 319
State Tax Collection DePartments	p. 319
State Tax Bills	p. 320
When All Else Fails, Try Your Political Connections	p. 322
The Taxpayer Bill of Rights	p. 323
Taxpayer Bill of Rights I	p. 324
Taxpayer Bill of Rights II	p. 325
Taxpayer Bill of Rights III	p. 327
The 25 Most Frequently Asked Questions	p. 335
Glossary of Tax Terms	p. 345
Index	p. 399
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.