ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Paying taxes on a yearly basis may not be the most celebrated task for most Americans. Many believe that they should not be taxed at all, thus, giving rise to tax fraud.
Recently, there have been a number of tax fraud reports in Los Angeles, claiming tax evasion activities. Apart from increasing tax fraud claims in Los Angeles, it is most likely that many other states are experiencing the same problem, especially during tax season. Therefore, the IRS encourages citizens to act as whistleblowers, for identifying people they know are illegally avoiding to pay their taxes, or not paying sufficient taxes. Before one decides to become an IRS whistleblower, they should be informed that there are certain criteria’s that need to be met before the whistleblower can make a claim:
• The total tax fraud needs add up to at least $2 million. This includes interest, tax penalties and anything else the government wishes to add
• If the suspect for committing tax fraud is an individual, then that person’s income should be over $200,000 per annum.
Just like any other whistleblower cases, if the claim is successful, IRS whistleblowers are awarded between 15% and 30% of the total amount recovered. That translates to a large sum of money. Apart from gaining monetary rewards, becoming an IRS whistleblower is the right thing to do. It ensures fairness in that everyone is required to follow the law, and also prevent further tax fraud. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seeks to increase rewards as a means to encourage citizens to act as whistleblowers. As a result, the IRS has reported to receive 1,900 tax evasion claims from whistleblowers in Los Angeles and other California Counties, which is almost twice as much as the last fiscal year. Not only is IRS whistleblowing a success, it also implements fear in individuals that are considering to dodge their taxes.
The Evans Law Firm, Inc. handles qui tam (whistleblower/false claims) lawsuits, employment and retaliation litigation, consumer class action fraud, and banking/insurance fraud cases. If you think you or someone you know has an IRS whistleblower claim, contact The Evans Law firm, Inc. for a free and confidential consultation at 415-441-8669 or info@evanslaw.com.
