Taxing, Briefly
30-Day Letter

The IRS Examination Process – Taxing, Briefly

Like Ten Thousand Spoons When All You Need is a Knife Do you feel like you are cursed to forever draw the short straw in life? Is Alanis Morrisette’s Ironic more of a personal anthem than an indictment of the Canadian educational system’s failure to properly differentiate between irony and unfortunate occurrences?  What does this have to do with the IRS examination process?  All in good time… In this post, we will assume that, in addition

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Scott St. Amand May 25, 2021
Procedural Issues
Assessable Penalties

Current Developments on Prior Written Supervisory Approval under IRC § 6751(b)(1)

The Statute No penalty under the Code[1] may be assessed unless the initial determination of such assessment is personally approved in writing by the immediate supervisor of the individual/agent making such determination (or another appropriate higher-level official).[2] This approval requirement, introduced in 1998, was the subject of only three substantial decisions prior to 2020. This year, however, was a boon for taxpayers, and the full opinions of the Tax Court defined the metes and bounds

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Scott St. Amand April 30, 2021
Business Related Issues
Abuse of Discretion

Hommel v. Commissioner
T.C. Memo. 2020-4

On January 8, 2020, the Tax Court issued a Memorandum Opinion in the case of Hommel v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo. 2020-4). The issue presented in Hommel v. Commissioner was whether a petitioner, who presented no evidence to the contrary, could challenge a bank deposits analysis for abuse of discretion.  The real issue, however, was how close Judge Holmes could get to calling the petitioner a #^&%$ idiot without actually doing so. Personal Note in Hommel

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Scott St. Amand January 8, 2020
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The IRS Examination Process – Taxing, Briefly

Like Ten Thousand Spoons When All You Need is a Knife Do you feel like you are cursed to forever draw the short straw in life? Is Alanis Morrisette’s Ironic more of a personal anthem than an indictment of the Canadian educational system’s failure to properly differentiate between irony and

Read More »
Scott St. Amand May 25, 2021

Hommel v. Commissioner
T.C. Memo. 2020-4

On January 8, 2020, the Tax Court issued a Memorandum Opinion in the case of Hommel v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo. 2020-4). The issue presented in Hommel v. Commissioner was whether a petitioner, who presented no evidence to the contrary, could challenge a bank deposits analysis for abuse of discretion.  The

Read More »
Scott St. Amand January 8, 2020