Life happens. We all experience it. There are times when life events can result in tax returns being filed late. Our tax laws offer little in way of leniency when this happens. The IRS will assess late filing penalties. Worse yet, amounts that were already timely paid to the IRS may not be refunded to……
Tag: Innocent Spouse Relief
A New Beginning for Innocent Spouse Relief
The Taxpayer First Act of 2019 made several changes that impact how tax cases are handled. We are just now seeing some of these changes play out administratively and in court. The recent Bacigalupi v. Commissioner, Docket No. 20480-21 (U.S. Tax Court 2022) is an example of this. It is an innocent spouse case that……
Saving Taxes: The Cooperative But Innocent Spouse
Innocent spouse relief can provide an excellent remedy to allocate taxes between spouses. While the innocent spouse rules are not all that complex, the application of the rules can be. Part of the complexity comes from the varying motives of the parties. Spouses and former spouses can have a number of different motives for requesting……
Filing Jointly v. Separately: Impact on Innocent Spouse Relief
There are a number of factors those who are married have to consider when deciding on their tax filing status. If you were to search for information about the difference between filing jointly v. separately (or mfj vs mfs), you would likely find articles that explain the mathematical calculation. They explain which tax deductions and……
Factors Showing Innocent Spouse Relief
The IRS has wide discretion in how it administers our tax laws. This discretion is power in its purest sense. This power can be wielded to destroy hard-won reputations, careers, and fortunes and it can even cost individuals their freedom. These powers can come from ambiguities in our laws. They can come from restrictions in……