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.
Three Ideas to Start Reducing This Year’s Taxes Now
Three Ideas to Start Reducing This Year’s Taxes Now Everyone wants to save on their taxes but many people don’t start thinking about tax savings until the next tax deadline rolls around. The real key to saving on taxes is to focus on those savings year round. One of the best ways to legally save on your taxes, especially for the wealthy, is…
How Frugal Entrepreneurs Avoid Excess Spending and Taxes
How Frugal Entrepreneurs Avoid Excess Spending and Taxes Getting a business off the ground is never easy. It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but smart entrepreneurs know that it also takes a lot of fiscal responsibility and the ability to say no. Most startup companies have to always be considerate and careful…
Windy City Tax Burden Will Hit NBA Star Hard
Windy City Tax Burden Will Hit NBA Star Hard So how much is $47.5 million really worth? The answer is it all depends on where you live. Most of the NBA’s top free agents recently signed their new contracts, many with new teams, including former Oklahoma City Thunder Star Kevin Durant, who is now a…
Estate Planning for High Net Worth Foreigners
Estate Planning for High Net Worth Foreigners While the U.S. is considered by many to be a place where the wealthy move their money away from, there are also many wealthy people from other countries who are moving more of their money into our country. So what’s behind this big increase of foreigners shipping…