The IRS is Not a Bully, No.4

The IRS is Not a Bully
You can poke a bully in the nose.

Palo Alto, CA. July 4, 2014 – This is the Fourth installment of “The IRS is Not a Bully” series, identifying taxpayer concerns and the difficult position in which Congress puts the IRS. Namely, applying ever increasing pressure to operate in ways its founders never intended; until it’s commonly misunderstood and misused, much like the schoolyard bully that seems more like a victim upon closer examination.

Recent events, including a scandal involving the missing emails of a former IRS official under investigation, Lois Lerner, have focused renewed attention on IRS policies, methods and integrity. Without question, the vast majority of IRS employees are reasonable, smart, good, hardworking, honest and competent professionals, just doing what Congress dictates. However, the institution, its employees, and more important its leaders, would do well to conduct themselves appropriately and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Trust, integrity and fairness are not mere catch phrases, they are the bedrock foundation that the institution must be built upon to be successful. If integrity of the IRS is in doubt, good luck expecting the average tax payer to believe what the IRS claims is their fair share of taxes!

In her June, 2014 article, “IRS Faces Volley of New Scrutiny”, CNN Reporter Lisa Desjardins raised some excellent points while uncovering some real concerns. Senators from both parties summoned the agency’s chief to Capitol Hill, one House committee set up a new investigative hearing and another issued a subpoena for the head of the agency to appear. You may remember that before she retired, Lois Lerner ran the IRS division in charge of tax exempt status. An inspector general’s report concluded her staff had inappropriately targeted Tea Party and other groups for extra scrutiny.

If one political party targets members of another for harassment, or worse, what should be done? I think most reasonable Americans would first want the allegation thoroughly investigated to determine the authenticity, scope, severity, and how far up the chain of command was involved. Well, that’s when Ms. Lerner got into more hot water. It seems that she was instructed to plead the fifth, not to admit to, or tell investigators anything more than a prepared statement. Further, a year after being asked to turn over her emails for the time frame in question, she informed investigators that her hard drive had crashed two-years earlier and destroyed the emails requested. One prominent senator on the committee investigating the allegations, Orin Hatch of Utah, released the following statement; ”Today’s admission by the IRS that they cannot produce Lois Lerner’s emails is an outrageous impediment to our investigation”. This accusation was mild compared to the outright disbelief expressed by others.

So, the next time the IRS requests that you produce emails or receipts, don’t worry; simply invoke the precedent established by Lois Lerner. Namely, read a prepared statement detailing the unfortunate hard drive crash that destroyed the evidence, including (unbelievable as it may seem) any and all backups, and conclude by pleading the fifth. If it’s good enough for the IRS, why not you?

Good luck with that; of course, any legitimate tax strategy should first be reviewed by your tax professional. Because our CPA firm specializes in very complicated and international tax work, we have lots of experience helping clients pay only the taxes they owe, and helping them through IRS audits. If you’d like additional information, I can be contacted at www.GROCO.com or (510) 797-8661, ask for Alan Olsen. Just remember, the IRS is not a Bully; you can poke a bully in the nose.

We hope you found this article about “The IRS is Not a Bully, No.4” helpful.

If you have questions or need expert tax or family office advice that’s refreshingly objective (we never sell investments), please contact us or visit our Family office page  or our website at www.GROCO.com.  Unfortunately, we no longer give advice to other tax professionals gratis.

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Alan Olsen, CPA

 

Alan Olsen, is the Host of the American Dreams Show and the Managing Partner of GROCO.com.  GROCO is a premier family office and tax advisory firm located in the San Francisco Bay area serving clients all over the world.

 

Alan L. Olsen, CPA, Wikipedia Bio

 

GROCO.com is a proud sponsor of The American Dreams Show.

 

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The American Dreams show was the brainchild of Alan Olsen, CPA, MBA. It was originally created to fill a specific need; often inexperienced entrepreneurs lacked basic information about raising capital and how to successfully start a business.

Alan sincerely wanted to respond to the many requests from aspiring entrepreneurs asking for the information and introductions they needed. But he had to find a way to help in which his venture capital clients and friends would not mind.

The American Dreams show became the solution, first as a radio show and now with YouTube videos as well. Always respectful of interview guest’s time, he’s able to give access to individuals information and inspiration previously inaccessible to the first-time entrepreneurs who need it most.

They can listen to venture capitalists and successful business people explain first-hand, how they got to where they are, how to start a company, how to overcome challenges, how they see the future evolving, opportunities, work-life balance and so much more..

American Dreams discusses many topics from some of the world’s most successful individuals about their secrets to life’s success. Topics from guest have included:

Creating purpose in life / Building a foundation for their life / Solving problems / Finding fulfillment through philanthropy and service / Becoming self-reliant / Enhancing effective leadership / Balancing family and work…

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MyPaths.com (Also sponsored by GROCO) provides free access to content and world-class entrepreneurs, influencers and thought leaders’ personal success stories. To help you find your path in life to true, sustainable success & happiness.  It’s mission statement:

In an increasingly complex and difficult world, we hope to help you find your personal path in life and build a strong foundation by learning how others found success and happiness. True and sustainable success and happiness are different for each one of us but possible, often despite significant challenges.

Our mission at MyPaths.com is to provide resources and firsthand accounts of how others found their paths in life, so you can do the same.

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