Lots of people rely on tax preparers, and in most cases, this is one of the best and easiest ways to avoid issues with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). But, what if your tax preparer makes a mistake? Unfortunately, this issue is far more common than it should be, and each year numerous taxpayers find themselves dealing with the IRS because their tax preparers were not as knowledgeable or careful as they should have been. If you find yourself in this scenario, here are some important considerations from Virginia tax attorney Kevin E. Thorn, Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently published its Data Book for 2021. The 2021 Data Book contains a lot of information; and, while much of this information will only be of interest to tax professionals, there are some important takeaways for U.S. taxpayers as well. In this article, Virginia tax lawyer Kevin E. Thorn, Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group, discusses 10 of the most notable statistics of which taxpayers should be aware:

Facing scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division (IRS CI) is a serious matter. As its name suggests, IRS CI investigates cases of suspected criminal tax law violations, and these investigations can lead to charges for tax evasion, tax fraud and a host of other federal white-collar crimes.

Most U.S. taxpayers who have offshore bank accounts are required to file an annual Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) with their federal income tax returns. Some are also required to File IRS Form 8938 (which is used to disclose “specified foreign financial assets”). If you were supposed to file an FBAR and/or IRS Form 8938 with your 2022 income tax return but didn’t, what should you do now? Virginia international tax attorney Kevin E. Thorn, Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group, explains:

Prosecuting individuals and companies suspected of fraudulently obtaining PPP and EIDLP loans, tax credits, and other forms of COVID-19 relief remain a top priority for the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division (IRS CI). IRS CI regularly publishes press releases highlighting its enforcement efforts, and it has made clear that prosecuting pandemic-related fraud will continue as an area of emphasis for the foreseeable future.