The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is ramping up its efforts to prosecute individual and corporate taxpayers for fraud and other crimes. With additional resources at its disposal, the IRS announced several enforcement priorities late last year, and press releases from the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division (IRS CI) make clear that the agency is targeting taxpayers for a wide range of criminal offenses in 2024. Learn more from Virginia criminal tax attorney Kevin E. Thorn, Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group. 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is devoting additional resources to auditing businesses in 2024. IRS business tax audits present several risks, and targeted businesses must work with experienced tax counsel to make informed and strategic decisions during the audit process.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued a News Release in which it encourages eligible businesses to take advantage of the limited-time Employee Retention Credit Voluntary Disclosure Program (ERC VDP). Filing under the ERC VDP, which is open until March 22, is an option for businesses that improperly received refunds under the Employee Retention Credit program. Those who have filed but have not yet received refunds must consider filing for withdrawal instead.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill aimed at preventing and combating fraud under the pandemic-era Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program. If passed, the bill would extend the statute of limitations for imposing ERC-related assessments while increasing the penalties for promoters of fraudulent ERC filing schemes.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launched a limited-time Employee Retention Credit Voluntary Disclosure Program (ERC-VDP) in January 2024. Businesses that improperly claimed the ERC currently have until March 22, 2024 to file applications under the program. Those that submit successful applications can avoid interest and penalties while repaying just 80 percent of their invalid refunds.