In recent years, the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) division and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have aggressively pursued tax professionals involved in fraud or other tax-related crimes. Certified tax planners, preparers, accountants, and attorneys who engage in misconduct are facing serious legal consequences. This article reviews notable prosecutions from roughly the past five years, highlighting enforcement trends and the types of fraud authorities have targeted. We then distill 10 key lessons from these cases – each supported by real-world examples and case citations – demonstrating how broad enforcement has impacted tax professionals. Finally, we conclude with a comprehensive list of dos and don'ts to help tax practitioners stay on the right side of the law and avoid the pitfalls that landed others in trouble.

This Is The Only Other Year-End Tax Tip Guide You Need
So as I did last year, I have reviewed a multitude of year-end tax tips articles. One of them is a real standout that you should be sure to check out. If you missed it, you should definitely roll back to the November 15 edition and go over Dominique Molina’s piece, which focuses on what you need to do sooner rather than later in response to OBBBA. It provides more detailed, relevant, actionable advice that you won’t see anywhere else than any of the multitude of pieces I have reviewed. As for the rest, I will give you a basic rundown of what I call the SOSO (same old, same old) and a few suggestions that stand out as different that I will get into a little more along with some thoughts of my own.


