Rod's Blog

The recent revelation that the IRS targeted non-profit groups for additional scrutiny based on their political orientation has shocked many observers. 

We are in “crunch time” now when it comes to tax preparation – the IRS deadline of April 15 is only a few weeks away. And if you have been putting off the task, you are not alone! Unfortunately, waiting until the last minute can increase your stress level and force to rush to beat the deadline, which can lead to mistakes. For that reason, if you haven’t yet begun working on your taxes, we recommend that you get started now so that you don’t run out of time.

Most of the time, the IRS is busy taking money from taxpayers. But every once in a while, we get an announcement like we had recently—the IRS has informed the public that they have over $900 million in refund money just waiting to be claimed.

If you’re one of the thousands of taxpayers that have been through the grueling process of an IRS tax dispute, chances are you don’t have a favorable view of the agency. So it’s quite unlikely that anything could ever make you “feel sorry” for the agency. Don’t worry—we won’t ask you to!

The IRS has quite a reputation. There are very few organizations whom taxpayers and business owners are less excited to hear from—and with good reason! We’ve talked in depth about the seemingly arbitrary but always aggressive method by which the agency pursues taxpayers who may have committed an error while filing taxes.

As you no doubt recall, Congress spent much of December attempting to find a solution to the “fiscal cliff” that the nation faced. One of the many “side effects” of this debate had to do with the IRS—and specifically, their ability to prepare to process 2012 tax returns.

Each January, millions of taxpayers begin the process of filing their taxes for the previous year. Though the deadline is still several months away, many individuals and families that expect to receive a refund rush to file their return so that they can receive a check from the IRS as soon as possible.

This year, however, it appears that

As you are aware, the IRS isn’t among the most popular government agencies as far as the taxpayers are concerned. There are many reasons for this, starting with the most obvious, which is that nobody likes having their money taken away. The IRS is also notorious for their aggressive collections efforts and the life-altering consequences from a dispute with the agency. And then there are stories like we have today, which can’t help but make you laugh in exasperation.

Today we’re going to share a story about an Alaska-based airline and their battle with the IRS. It’s a small business, just like many of the businesses here in Oklahoma. It’s a story that illustrates just how hard the IRS can make life for small businesses. The Wall Street Journal reports:

If you’re a high-income taxpayer or business owner, your likelihood of being selected for an IRS audit has skyrocketed in recent years. And as anyone who has ever gone through the process can attest, an IRS audit can be stressful, time-consuming, and often very expensive.