“Talkin Dirty”....IRS warns against frivolous tax arguments; Part of ‘Dirty Dozen’ scams list. “Or, are you just stupid?....#ForestGump #runForestrun!”
IR-2018-58, March 16, 2018
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today continued releasing the 2018 list of “Dirty Dozen” tax scams with a warning to taxpayers about using frivolous tax arguments to avoid paying taxes.
Promoters of frivolous schemes encourage taxpayers to make unreasonable and outlandish legal claims to avoid paying their taxes. Time and again, these arguments have been thrown out of court. (Just ask Mr. Snipes...aka “Blade”, ok I added this....)
The “Dirty Dozen” is an annual list compiled by the IRS. It describes a variety of common scams that taxpayers may encounter. Many of these schemes peak during filing season as people prepare their returns or hire others to help with their taxes.
A recurring Dirty Dozen theme through the years involves claims about "secret" schemes to avoid people paying taxes.
In “The Truth about Frivolous Tax Arguments,” the IRS outlines some of the more common frivolous arguments, explains why they’re wrong and cites relevant court decisions. Examples include:
• The First Amendment allows taxpayers to refuse to pay taxes on religious or moral grounds;
• The only “employees” subject to federal income tax are those who work for the federal government;
• Only foreign-source income is taxable.
Perpetrators of illegal scams, as well as those who make use of them, may face possible criminal prosecution. IRS Criminal Investigation works closely with the Department of Justice to shut down scams and prosecute the criminals behind them.
To view the 2018 Dirty Dozen click here: