IRS Instructions as Clear as Mud, Even to the IRS
Tax time is just around the corner and that means it will be time once again to comb through all the jargon that is IRS tax forms. Many taxpayers have long bemoaned tax forms and instructions as just plain confusing and in some cases, downright sinister. However, even though filing taxes on your own accord can be a risky proposition, as long as you stick to the code and follow the IRS’s instructions carefully and exactly, you should be OK, right? Well, not necessarily.
What? How could that possibly be true? The fact is tax instructions don’t actually fall under the tax law. So, in reality, you could even follow the instructions on a tax form with exactness and still end up with an error. Of course, the IRS would understand if that happened to you, right? Well, not exactly. Many taxpayers have used this argument to no avail. In most instances, the courts side with the IRS and rarely hold the agency to what is written in its forms and instructions.
That’s because, unfortunately, according to legal precedence, the only things that hold up in court as tax law are regulations, official statutes and judicial decisions. That means even if you fill out your tax forms incorrectly and it’s the IRS’s fault, you will still be held accountable for those mistakes. It doesn’t seem fair that the IRS is ultimately not responsible to write correct instructions, but nevertheless when it comes to the IRS there isn’t too much that does seem fair.
Venture Capital – The First Meeting
Venture Capital – The First Meeting By Dr. Earl R. Smith II The Acceleration Lane I do a lot of work with companies seeking financing. Whether it is a first-round or follow-on, funding for further research and development or marketing and branding efforts, equity or debt financing, a start-up or mid-market company or financing to…
Venture Leasing – A Smarter Way To Build Enterprise Value
Venture Leasing – A Smarter Way To Build Enterprise Value By George Parker In 2003, venture capitalists and investors dispensed over $18 billion to promising young U.S. companies, according to VentureOne and Ernst & Young Quarterly Venture Capital Report. Less documented and reported is venture leasing’s activity and volume. This form of equipment financing contributes…
Understanding the Venture Capital Investor
Understanding the Venture Capital Investor By Gerard Brandon Promoting your Business to Venture Capital Investors is an attractive proposition. The investments are larger than you would get from friends, family and Angel Investors, and often they are more willing to invest in subsequent fund raising rounds. But Venture Capital investors are not always the easiest…
Defining the First Six Stages of a Business in the Venture Capital World
Defining the First Six Stages of a Business in the Venture Capital World Stage 1 Enterprise has no product revenue to date and limited expense history, and typically an incomplete management team with an idea, plan, and possibly some initial product development. Typically, seed capital or first-round financing is provided during this stage by friends…