Hi Mike, beg to differ, haven't you heard about the new "kinder and gentler" IRS? One of the most striking lessons I took away from my former divorce practice was the contrast between the perception that most law-abiding citizens have of the IRS, and the perception that, shall we say law-bending? citizens have. I am aware of numerous situations in which people who were paid in cash never reported their income, people just never filed returns, people filed returns but never paid their taxes.
Seriously, the IRS has a new policy, if you can't pay your taxes, there is a form you fill out, and you pretty much automatically get a payment plan, at least the first time. If you can't pay taxes a couple of years in a row, and you already have a payment plan you haven't paid off, they don't like it, and treat it as a default on the first plan, and threaten to seize assets and all that, but I have been able to convince them to take it once I convinced them that the parties were acting in good faith.
Of course, as a lawyer, I am aware that I am subject to special scrutiny, the IRS profile for lawyers is that they know the loopholes, so I personally am careful. |
