Prose by Tax Pros

Everyone knows that IRS is struggling to timely process and audit Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”) claims. What many people do not realize, though, is that the Tax Court issued a decision in January 2024 that might affect timing issues. This article, another in a series, discusses ERC guidance, the three-year and five-year assessment periods under current law, key Tax Court cases addressing the impact of fraud by return preparers on assessment periods of taxpayers, the broad definition of preparers, and potential effects on well-intentioned taxpayers filing improper ERC claims. Read the full article here. About Hale E. Sheppard HALE E. SHEPPARD, Esq. (B.S., M.A., J.D., LL.M., LL.M.T.)  is a partner in the Tax Controversy Section of Chamberlain Hrdlicka.  He defends clients in tax audits, tax appeals, and Tax Court litigation, covering both domestic and international issues.

  The IRS is trying various methods to halt what it considers improper Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”) claims, including penalty threats. Browbeating taxpayers with potential penalties is standard stuff, but it becomes particularly interesting in the ERC context, where the IRS’s ability to carry out its warnings is questionable. This article, the latest in a series, describes the evolving ERC guidance, highlights the recurrent themes of “complexity” and taxpayer “victimization,” reviews relevant penalty-mitigation standards, and suggests that taxpayers considering their next move need to determine how much weight IRS penalty threats really deserve. Read the full article here. About Hale E. Sheppard HALE E. SHEPPARD, Esq. (B.S., M.A., J.D., LL.M., LL.M.T.)  is a partner in the Tax Controversy Section of Chamberlain Hrdlicka.  He defends clients in tax audits, tax appeals, and Tax Court litigation, covering both domestic and international issues.

This article, the latest in a long series, describes the ERC legislation, relevant administrative guidance, evolution of the regulations addressing “transactions with contractual protection,” effects of reportable transaction status on employers and advisors, and more. Read the full article here. About Hale E. Sheppard HALE E. SHEPPARD, Esq. (B.S., M.A., J.D., LL.M., LL.M.T.)  is a partner in the Tax Controversy Section of Chamberlain Hrdlicka.  He defends clients in tax audits, tax appeals, and Tax Court litigation, covering both domestic and international issues.