Are You Throwing Your Bankruptcy Client to the Predators?

By Cathy Moran, Mt. View, CA

Behind every IRS tax audit lurks the state taxing authority. Fail to give the state its due, and the tax in question may be non dischargeable.

I had to dredge this tidbit from memory when we were looking over the tax transcript for a client who had been audited by the IRS and assessed a whopping tax bill. To his good fortune, that newly assessed tax will be dischargeable 241 days after the audit assessment. But, I asked, had he reported the results of the IRS audit to our state (CA) income . . .

It looks like you are not signed in or registered! This content is only available to members.

Or Sign In Below:

No Author Biography has been linked to this Article.

Remembrances of a Retired Trustee

October 6, 2019

By Mike Fitzgerald It has been almost one full year since I retired as the Chapter 13 Standing Trustee in Seattle. I am happy to report that my family and I are enjoying ourselves immensely. As retirement grows more comfortable, I find myself looking back with mostly very fond memories at the nineteen years I served as a Trustee, as...

Members

Representing Elderly Clients in Bankruptcy – Part 2 of 3

January 12, 2020

By David Cox,1 Cox Law Group, PLLC (Lynchburg, VA) Click here for Part 1 of 3 C. Determining whether to file. Collection considerations outside of bankruptcy. Is the debtor judgment-proof? Are assets and income exempt? How active are creditors? Is the current situation likely to change? Has there been a previous filing, and if so, are there stay or exhausted...

Members

Assessable Yet Not Assessed Taxes Could Cost You a Malpractice Claim

August 1, 2021

By Cathy Moran, Esq., (Redwood City, CA) Eighteen years elapsed between the close of the 2003 tax year and the Tax Court’s 2021 decision Barnes v. Comm'r, T.C. Memo. 2021-49 (U.S.T.C. May 4, 2021) regarding the debtors’ 2003 tax liability. While the most recent decision in the debtors’ battle with the IRS challenged the discretion of a tax officer in...

Members

Taking Care of Business: Recordkeeping for Small Businesses

May 12, 2019

Small business owners should keep good records. This applies to all businesses, whether they have a couple dozen employees or just a few. Whether they install software or make soft-serve. Whether they cut hair or cut lawns. Keeping good records is an important part of running a successful business. Here are some questions and answers to help business owners understand...

A Fond Farewell

Marie-Ann Greenberg

August 20, 2023

Wishing our dear friend and colleague, Isabel Balboa, a hearty congratulations on her upcoming retirement. As many of you know, Isabel came to the United States from Cuba at the age of 6 with her mother and sisters. Upon leaving Cuba, they were forced to leave everything behind for fear that they would be caught and detained. Her father was...

Here’s What People Should Know About Taking Early Withdrawals from Retirement Plans

April 21, 2019

Taxpayers may need to take money out of their individual retirement account or retirement plan early. However, this can trigger an additional tax on top of other income tax they may owe. Here are a few key things for taxpayers to know: Early Withdrawals. An early withdrawal normally is taking cash out of a retirement plan before the taxpayer is...

Tax Deductions Hidden in Chapter 13

Cathy Moran

April 3, 2022

True. Most people no longer itemize under the current Tax Code. However, the amount of money involved varies and should be considered. The same very important debts that a Chapter 13 plan pays are often tax deductible. And your client is still the person who’s paying, even if the trustee writes the check. Don’t allow them to miss out on...

Members

Topp – Upending Till??

Jody Bledsoe

August 27, 2023

The Eighth Circuit recently released its Topp opinion. At issue was the appropriate starting point for determining the discount rate to be used when paying secured claims under a chapter 12 plan. The debtor, who had gained confirmation of his plan before the bankruptcy court, proposed paying claims to Farm Credit Services over 20 years at a rate based on the...

Members

Separately Classifying Student Loans in Chapter 13

The Academy

June 23, 2024

We originally ran this item in May to give you a heads up of what was coming. July is almost here . . . Starting July 1st, Chapter 13 debtors in Federal Student Loan IDR plans will receive IDR credit for each month they make their bankruptcy plan payments, without needing to separately classify their student loans.

Members

Can a Secured Claim Still “Ride-Through” Bankruptcy Despite BAPCPA? Part 2: Looking Beyond In re Rhodes

Lawrence R. Ahern, III

February 27, 2022

Background A recent Chapter 7 case out of the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California, In re Rhodes,1 addressed reaffirmation in a context that should be of interest to debtor's attorneys. As explained in Part 1, Rhodes points out that the "ride-through" of a debtor's secured debt after a Chapter 7 — which Congress . . . It...

Members