An IRS lawyer opened a new window on the inner workings of one of the largest IRS field offices by warning 10 U.S. Senators in a letter that an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service’s chief counsel is riddled with abuse and waste at the agency’s New York field office. He made these charges as part of a class-action lawsuit he is preparing against the IRS. The revelation comes as the IRS is being hit with more than $2 billion in overdue taxes and continues to face angry taxpayers in what many taxpayers call “comey wheel” hearings. The internal watchdog known as the Taxpayers’ advocate has gained recent prominence as Tea Party supporters complain that they are not getting the help from the agency to solve their problems. The IRS is said to be looking into politically motivated investigations and leaks of information by the media.
IRS lawyers in Colorado Springs represent taxpayers in federal tax law cases throughout the United States. They are responsible for representing the taxpayer in all situations from tax liability determination and audit to refund recovery. The tax code is very complicated and even lawyers have difficulty understanding it without outside guidance. The taxpayers’ lawyer must therefore be able to explain the laws clearly to the judge or the jury.
In a typical case, a taxpayer will hire a tax professional, such as an attorney or a tax consultant to prepare his or her case. They will then proceed to court to answer questions put forward by the IRS attorneys. If the tax specialist is successful in receiving a settlement or an audit, he or she will then take the case to the court clerk for payment and filing of forms. Many taxpayers choose to represented themselves in these proceedings. Unfortunately, this often results in a loss of money because a tax practitioner can often receive discounted fees from the government for his or her work.
The IRS will send a notice to the taxpayer’s lawyer informing them of their pending case. The IRS will also issue a Notice of Intent. This is the formal legal paperwork that tells the taxpayer that the IRS has filed a lawsuit against the taxpayer. The plaintiff is then allowed to submit a defense to the court on the day of trial. The defendant is also allowed a defense at the same time but may only do so if they are able to afford a private attorney.
The Appeals Officer is responsible for many of the processes that will occur during the appeal process. He or she is the official “judge” of what the law requires as well as what should happen during the trial and appeal process. The Appeals Officer is typically an individual in the bench office of a federal court. In most cases, the Appeals Officer is a tax lawyer or tax accountant that has previously worked for the IRS.
If both sides are unable to agree on a settlement, they will present their case to a jury. The jury is made up of people who normally wouldn’t have any connection with either party, therefore making their decision based solely on facts and evidence. If the jury does not agree on a settlement, then they will decide the case and either accept it or send it back to the IRS for a second trial. Many taxpayers have found that by hiring a local tax lawyer they were able to get their taxes reduced greatly, in some cases by $400.