Business Better Podcast Episode: Tax Audits, Investigations, and Global Enforcement - A Conversation with IRS Special Agent Jonathan Schnatz
The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 28 - Under the Microscope: Examining the Future of the ERC
The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 4 - Understanding the Employee Retention Credit
The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 2 - Avoid Falling Prey: The Dirty Dozen and Other Trending Tax Scams
Argentina: A Look at the Case of Lázaro Báez - Laundering the Proceeds of Corruption and Tax Fraud
Podcast: Cum-Ex Dividend Trade Investigations
Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) brought USA v. Ahlgren, its first crypto case with tax evasion allegations unrelated to another crime, demonstrating the DOJ’s willingness to pursue stand-alone crypto...more
Could Artificial Intelligence (AI) increase the likelihood of an IRS audit in your future? How does the IRS use AI to identify US taxpayers who attempt to hide assets, under-report income or otherwise cheat the IRS? In...more
Recent Government actions suggest that third-party promoters and potentially hundreds of taxpayers may be entering into abusive trust arrangements aimed at unlawfully eliminating or deferring federal income taxes....more
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) has recently devoted great attention to detecting, investigating, and prosecuting fraud, particularly as it relates to the Employee Retention Tax Credit (“ERC”) post-COVID. On a webinar...more
Polsinelli’s Government Investigations and Tax attorneys continue to follow the well-known Fisher case, the Department of Justice’s ("DOJ") first criminal indictment related to syndicated conservation easements. Walter...more
Harrington v. Commissioner - In Harrington v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, George S. Harrington (Harrington) challenged tax deficiencies and fraud penalties assessed for tax years 2005 through 2010. Originally...more
This is the second part in our 2023 series examining important trends in white collar law and investigations. Up next: crypto enforcement. The days of decreased IRS enforcement activity may be coming to a close. Although...more
El 3/11/22, el IRS-CI (Investigación Criminal del IRS) publicó su Reporte del Año Fiscal 2022 que destaca más de 2550 investigaciones criminales, una tasa de condena del 90%; acciones de cumplimiento enfocadas en el fraude...more
On 11/3/22, IRS-CI (IRS Criminal Investigation) released it FY2022 Annual Report highlighting more than 2,550 investigations, 90% conviction rate; enforcement actions focused on tax fraud, money laundering, cybercrimes, and...more
State and federal crypto and NFT-related enforcement actions continue to occupy the regulatory landscape with an apparent uptick coinciding with the issuance of The White House’s Executive Order in March (we discussed the...more
This is the third post in this year’s series examining important trends in white collar law and investigations. Our previous post discussed trends in anti-corruption. Up next: State AG enforcement trends. Tax season is...more
In the past month, state and federal prosecutors have separately charged the former CEO of Skyline Healthcare, Joseph Schwartz, with Medicaid and tax fraud. The criminal actions, which represent the latest legal action...more
“The investigative work of 2021 has all the makings of a made for TV movie – embezzlement of funds from a nonprofit, a family fraud ring that stole millions in COVID-relief funds and a $1 billion Ponzi scheme used to buy...more
During a recent program discussing the latest government enforcement efforts related to cryptocurrency, we spoke with Gary Alford, one of the leading Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents in their crypto enforcement efforts,...more
Following the US Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) announcement of “Operation Hidden Treasure,” companies and individuals should prepare for increased scrutiny of virtual currency transactions. Unveiled in March, the operation...more
On Jan. 13, 2021, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the False Claims Amendment Act, which expanded liability under the Washington, D.C., False Claims Act, or FCA, to encompass tax-related claims. Originally...more
Precedential Opinions of Note - Government Must Prove Falsity Under Any Objectively Reasonable Standard - United States v. Harra (January 12, 2021), No. 19-1105 http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/191105p.pdf Unanimous...more
Male Escort Gets 21 Months In Prison For Tax Case - He lied on his tax returns, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS of $278,325. A male escort who lied to the IRS about his income was sentenced to 21 months in prison and...more
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training publishes an Environmental Case Crimes Bulletin (“Bulletin”) that summarizes publicized investigative activity...more
The enforcement of the District's tax laws had previously been left exclusively to government agencies; a newly enacted bill will make the District one of a few jurisdictions to allow relators to bring qui tam suits alleging...more
Earlier this month, the District of Columbia Council passed an amendment to its False Claims Act, which extended the Act to include tax-related claims. Under the amended D.C. False Claims Act, violations may be alleged...more
Former N.Y. Elected Official Sentenced To Six Months - The court also ordered the New Yorker to pay $254,628 in restitution to the IRS. A former Town of Hempstead, New York, councilman was sentenced to six months in...more
In the past several years, the use and prevalence of virtual currency have increased exponentially. The proliferation of digital assets has changed the way goods and services are exchanged and has allowed for faster and...more
DOJ News - Manufacturer to Pay Over $37.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations - On January 15, 2015, the DOJ announced that ResMed Corp., a manufacturer of durable medical equipment, agreed to pay over...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has signaled for years that it would eventually bring enforcement actions against individuals who failed to report cryptocurrency gains. It appears that “eventually” is over and that those...more