Settle your debts outside of bankruptcy and you may be bitten by taxes you didn’t expect years later. Everyone I talk to would rather cut a deal with their creditors than file bankruptcy. It’s universal. But here’s the killer reason why bankruptcy alone protects homeowners from a unexpected tax consequence down the road. Debt forgiven […]
The Unexpected Loss When Tax Returns Filed Late
File your tax returns really late and you may lose out on credit for toward your Social Security. Betcha didn’t know there was a connection between income taxes and your Social Security benefits. This was a new one for me. I’ve written often about the negative consequences of putting off filing tax returns. But Harvard Law professor […]
Cut Tax Liens Down to Size
Tax liens are no match for Chapter 13 when it comes to cutting the lien down to its real value. On paper, a tax lien can quickly become huge. In bankruptcy however, a lien is no bigger than the value of the assets it attaches to. While in Chapter 7, liens pass through bankruptcy without […]
California Law on Cancelled Debt Mirrors Federal Law
I’ve always assumed that California law excluded from income debt forgiven in bankruptcy, just as federal tax law does. When a client asked me to confirm that the treatment was the same, I realized that this was one of those things I had just assumed. As a lawyer, I ought to know the danger […]
Can IRS Really Collect Interest On Taxes Paid Through Chapter 13?
At the end of a Chapter 13, you may still owe some interest on taxes included in bankruptcy. But not nearly as often as the IRS would have you think. It’s a huge let down to think after all the payments in a Chapter 13, not everything went away. But in a narrow slice of […]
Pay Or Go To Jail Tops IRS List Of Tax Scams
The phone caller recites his IRS badge number. Then he demands immediate payment of “overdue taxes” by wire transfer or debit card. Fail to pay, he warns, and you will be arrested. Or lose your license. Or be deported. Absolutely horrifying. And absolutely untrue. Yet this scenario is repeated often enough that it made the top […]
Scammers Spoof IRS To Get Your Info
Tax season saw a 400% rise in fake email to taxpayers pretending to be from the IRS. The scammers want you to click a link, give them information, or otherwise open yourself to identity theft. Identity theft and the diversion of tax refunds is the number one 2016 tax scam. Fake email is third. Protect yourself […]
Claim Tax Deductions Lurking In Your Chapter 13
Tax deductions may be hiding in your Chapter 13. Did you file for an extension of time to file your income tax return? Well, time to get the return done is running out: returns are due October 15th. If you are in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case, you may have deductions you haven’t considered […]
Time Running Out To Claim Prior Year Tax Breaks
Time is running out on your 2011 tax return. Whaaaat?, you say. You’re working on 2014 between now and April 15th. But if you’re one of those people who overlooked a tax deduction or, better yet, a tax credit like EITC, you’re running out of time to amend your 2011 return and capture some of that money. An […]
Why Tax Software Is Lousy Purchase
Why pay for Turbo Tax or its competitors when, odds are, you can get it for free? Unless you like burning money. Seventy percent of American taxpayers qualify for free tax software. If your income was $62,000 last year or less, you can use commercial tax filing software for free through the IRS FreeFile program. […]
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