if a tax accountant has not filed your taxes since the 90s and then suddenly you have a tax lien aimed at your house... what are the steps to go to correct this and get everything fixed??
2006-10-26 07:10:11 · 6 answers · asked by sweetandprettyinnc 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Taxes ➔ United States
Immediately go and find a tax ATTORNEY. Find one that is either dually certified as a CPA or an EA (Enrolled Agent, IRS designation for a certified accountant).
This is big trouble. BIG trouble. You can do time for failure to file and pay your taxes for 16 years, Richard Hatch got 10 years for failure to pay in one year.
What in the heck happened? Did your accountant have power of attorney? If he didn't, then you would have had to go into his office and sign your returns and then mail them. If he did, why would you give a bean counter such power?
And last thought, if the tax accountant is a CPA, in good standing, or an EA, and he had power of attorney to sign your returns, you may be able to go and sue him when your IRS nightmare is over. If he is not, then depending on your state, you may not have a case against him. Log into your state's website and see if they maintain a link to verify a CPA's certifications, you can also call the IRS to see if he is an enrolled agent.
Good luck my friend (or your friend). The last people on earth you want to screw with are the IRS.
2006-10-26 07:22:59 · answer #1 · answered by Gem 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Are you saying that each year you gave the accountant all your info, he/she gave you a completed return and you signed it and gave it back to him/her so you had reason to believe it was taken care of, then it was never filed? Unless you came out exactly even financially each of those years, which would be almost impossible, how would you not have noticed that either your check to the IRS wasn't cashed, or else you didn't get your refund, for all those years?
Sounds like you're probably going to have some serious explaining to do, for how you didn't know and it was all the accountant's fault.
And the IRS makes multiple contacts to the taxpayer before they issue a lien - did you never get anything there either?
Steps to correct this: contact a tax attorney and show him/her all the paperwork that you have. Let the attorney contact the IRS. Be prepared to pay any back taxes and penalties, in addition of course to the attorney's fees. If you do all this quickly, maybe your house won't get sold.
If the sale is scheduled for next week, do all of the above plus call a moving company.
Sorry, sounds like there's some information missing here.
2006-10-26 07:21:19 · answer #2 · answered by Judy 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I find it difficult to swallow that it's your accountant's fault. Surely you would have fired him or her after getting no results for a year or two?
The IRS will therefore also likely not swallow this. You need a good tax attorney, CPA, or Enrolled Agent whose practice specializes in arguing and reducing penalties on back taxes, removing liens, and making Offers In Compromise.
Hire that person TODAY. Don't delay another day, or your house may no longer be yours for much longer.
2006-10-27 02:51:04 · answer #3 · answered by lizzit 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get the returns filed. There is no statute of limitations on "Failure To File". If you owe after these returns have been filed, make payment arrangements. Your post blames the accountant but you are responsible for your own return, not the accountant.
2006-10-26 07:21:15 · answer #4 · answered by Wayne Z 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need to re do all your back taxes and if you don't owe you will be okay. I f you need some help you can email me at acinom9@juno.com. I am a tax professional and just resolved some tax issue for my friend that went back to 1995
2006-10-26 08:38:08 · answer #5 · answered by Lynne D 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
get it done asap !!!
2006-10-26 16:11:51 · answer #6 · answered by rodriguez m 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋