by Lance Wallach
CPAs are the best and most qualified professionals when it comes to serving their clients needs, but they need to know when and how to coordinate with other experts.
Over the last twenty years we have worked with thousands of practitioners who have decided to add financial services to their practices. They do it for a variety of reasons, but the most common are as follows:
*They don’t want to refer their client elsewhere when they request financial services.
* They want to remain competitive.
*They want to diversify and increase their revenue as opposed to depending solely on tax and accounting revenue.
While helping these professionals add planning and investment services to their core offerings, we have found that they achieve four main benefits after doing so:
1. They are more satisfied with their work.
2. Their clients are more satisfied because they can work with someone they trust to meet financial goals.
3. Their clients give them more referrals.
4. Their incomes increase.
We believe that CPAs are the most appropriate--and perhaps the only--professionals who can provide comprehensive financial services to clients because they understand their clients' tax and financial situations. Their clients trust these practitioners to provide professional advice that is in their best interest. In fact, we believe that tax professionals have an obligation and responsibility to advise their clients, and clients expect their professionals to advise them in these important areas.
With a combination of never-ending tax reform, the Tax Code's significant and complex changes, and the market volatility we've experienced over the past few years, clients need guidance more than ever. Practitioners who provide financial planning and investment advisory services are in a position to advise and assist their clients with these issues.
Practitioners just starting out in this arena may not possess the myriad skill sets and substantive knowledge required to embark on new business ventures.
CPAs who don't have all of the necessary talent in-house may find it easier to associate themselves with strategic "partners" who can provide the proper skill sets, training, technology, support and turnkey solutions in their specialized disciplines and niches, to help identify and meet their clients' financial goals.
Adapted from "The Team Approach to Tax, Financial & Estate Planning," edited by Lance Wallach, with chapters by Katharine Gratwick Baker, Fredda Herz Brown, Dr. Stanly J. Feldman, Ira Kaplan, Joseph W. Maczuga, Roger E. Nauheimer, Roger C. Ochs, Matthew J. O'Connor, Richard Preston, Steve Riley, Carl Lloyd Sheeler, Peter Spero, Paul J. Williams, and Roger M. Winsby. Product 017235.
Lance Wallach, the National Society of Accountants Speaker of the Year, speaks and writes extensively about retirement plans, Circular 230 problems and tax reduction strategies. He speaks at more than 40 conventions annually, writes for over 50 publications, is quoted regularly in the press, and has written numerous best-selling AICPA books, including Avoiding Circular 230 Malpractice Traps and Common Abusive Business Hot Spots. Contact him at 516.938.5007 or visit www.vebaplan.com.
The information provided herein is not intended as legal, accounting, financial or any other type of advice for any specific individual or other entity. You should contact an appropriate professional for any such advice.
Reportable Transactions and 419 Plans Litigation - Welfare benefit, Medical, Retirement plan benefit and design, Pension specialists, 412i Lawsuits, 419 lawsuits, IRS Audits, 412i Problems, Expert Witness Lance Wallach
Showing posts with label Tax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tax. Show all posts
6707A Penalties & 419 Plans Litigation: Taxpayers Must Report Certain Transactions to the ...
6707A Penalties & 419 Plans Litigation: Taxpayers Must Report Certain Transactions to the ...: Taxpayers must report certain transactions to the IRS under Section 6707A of the Tax Code, which was enacted in 2004 to help detect, deter,...
Get Sued
Posted on June 27, 2011, in Uncategorized, with 0 Comments
June 2011
The IRS is cracking down on what it considers to be abusive tax shelters. Many of them are being marketed to small business owners by insurance professionals, financial planners and even accountants and attorneys. I speak at numerous conventions, for both business owners and accountants. And after I speak, I am always approached by many people who have questions about tax reduction plans that they have heard about. Below are the most common 419 tax reduction insurance plans
These come in various versions, and most of them have or will get the participant audited and the salesman sued. They purportedly allow the business owner to make a large tax-deductible contribution, and some or all of the contribution pays for a life insurance product. The IRS has been disallowing most versions of these plans for years, yet they continue to be sold. After everyone gets into trouble and the insurance agents get sued, the promoters of the abusive versions sometimes change the name of their company and call the plan something else. The insurance companies whose policies are sold are legitimate companies. What usually is not legitimate is the way that most of the plans are operated. There can also be a $200,000 IRS fine facing the insurance agent who sold the plan if Form 8918 has not been properly filed. I’ve reviewed hundreds of these forms for agents and have yet to see one that was filled out correctly.
The IRS is cracking down on what it considers to be abusive tax shelters. Many of them are being marketed to small business owners by insurance professionals, financial planners and even accountants and attorneys. I speak at numerous conventions, for both business owners and accountants. And after I speak, I am always approached by many people who have questions about tax reduction plans that they have heard about. Below are the most common 419 tax reduction insurance plans
These come in various versions, and most of them have or will get the participant audited and the salesman sued. They purportedly allow the business owner to make a large tax-deductible contribution, and some or all of the contribution pays for a life insurance product. The IRS has been disallowing most versions of these plans for years, yet they continue to be sold. After everyone gets into trouble and the insurance agents get sued, the promoters of the abusive versions sometimes change the name of their company and call the plan something else. The insurance companies whose policies are sold are legitimate companies. What usually is not legitimate is the way that most of the plans are operated. There can also be a $200,000 IRS fine facing the insurance agent who sold the plan if Form 8918 has not been properly filed. I’ve reviewed hundreds of these forms for agents and have yet to see one that was filled out correctly.
When the IRS audits a participant in one of these plans, the tax deductions are lost. There is also the interest and large penalties to consider. The business owner can also be facing a $200,000-a-year fine if he did not properly file Form 8886. Most of these forms have been filled out improperly. In my talks with the IRS, I was told that the IRS considers not filling out Form 8886 properly almost the same as not filing at all.
412(i) retirement plans
412(i) retirement plans
Let us guide you through this maze and keep you out of trouble with the IRS
Reportable Transactions Are Causing Business Owners Big Trouble
With the IRS Because They Are Being Handled Improperly
IRS has made many deductions reportable, but require specific
forms to properly disclose the transaction.
In an attempt to curb the use of abusive tax shelters, new, stiff
penalties are in effect for failure to adequately disclose a
reportable transaction to the IRS. But unlike most other
penalties, the law significantly limits the IRS’s ability to rescind
or abate these penalties for reasonable cause or other
reasons.
This means that taxpayers must be much more vigilant in
identifying and disclosing these transactions. Even your CPA
may not recognize a particular transaction as reportable.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that reportable transactions
are solely limited to what the IRS calls "abusive tax shelters."
The definition of a reportable transaction includes many
transactions that are routine and perfectly legitimate. It can
include any transaction with the potential for tax evasion or
avoidance. If you entered into any arrangement with the
primary purpose of avoiding or reducing taxes, that is probably
a reportable transaction that need to be disclosed.
With the IRS Because They Are Being Handled Improperly
IRS has made many deductions reportable, but require specific
forms to properly disclose the transaction.
In an attempt to curb the use of abusive tax shelters, new, stiff
penalties are in effect for failure to adequately disclose a
reportable transaction to the IRS. But unlike most other
penalties, the law significantly limits the IRS’s ability to rescind
or abate these penalties for reasonable cause or other
reasons.
This means that taxpayers must be much more vigilant in
identifying and disclosing these transactions. Even your CPA
may not recognize a particular transaction as reportable.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that reportable transactions
are solely limited to what the IRS calls "abusive tax shelters."
The definition of a reportable transaction includes many
transactions that are routine and perfectly legitimate. It can
include any transaction with the potential for tax evasion or
avoidance. If you entered into any arrangement with the
primary purpose of avoiding or reducing taxes, that is probably
a reportable transaction that need to be disclosed.
412i Tax Shelter Fraud Litigation - How It Works
Lance Wallach
PARTIES:
Typically, these transactions will include an Insurance company, accountant, tax attorney, and a promoter (someone with an insurance background, perhaps an actuary, who knows how to structure the policy itself). These groups will use insurance brokerages and sub-agents (licensed in the various states) to sell the policies themselves.
INSURANCE COMPANIES
AMERICAN GENERAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY® INDIANAPOLIS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY®
HARTFORD LIFE AND ANNUITY INSURANCE COMPANY® PACIFIC LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY®
BANKERS LIFE and OTHERS®?
4121iHOW THESE PLANS WORK:
In the late 1990’s, the individuals and groups above devised a scheme to sell abusive tax shelters under the auspices of Section 412(i) of the tax code. A 412(i) is a defined benefit pension plan. It provides specific retirement benefits to participants once they reach retirement and must contain assets sufficient to pay those benefits. A 412(i) plan differs from other defined benefit pension plans in that it must be funded exclusively by the purchase of individual life insurance products. To create a 412(i) plan, there must be a trust to hold the assets. The employer funds the plan by making cash contributions to the trust, and the Code allows the employer to take a tax deduction in the amount of the contributions, i.e. the entire amount.
The trust uses the contributed funds to purchase some combination of life insurance products (insurance or annuities) for the plan. As the plan participants retire, the trust will usually sell the policies for their present cash value and purchase annuities with the proceeds. The revenue stream from the annuities pays the specified retirement benefit to plan participants.
These defendants (with the aid and knowledge of the insurance companies) used the traditional structure and sold life insurance policies with excessively high premiums. The trust then uses the large cash contributions to pay high insurance premiums and the employer takes a deduction for the sum of those large contributions. As you might expect, these policies were designed with excessively high fees or “loads” which provided exorbitant commissions to the insurance companies and the agents who sold the products.
The policies that were sold were termed Springing Cash Value Policies. They had no cash value for the first 5-7 years, after which they had significant cash value. Under this scheme, after 5-7 years, and just before the cash value sprung, the participant purchases the policy from the trust for the policy’s surrender value. In theory, you have a tax free transaction.
The IRS does not recognize the tax benefit of such a plan and has repeatedly issued announcements indicating that such plans are contrary to federal tax laws and regulations.
I am not an attorney but I learned some of the above information from attorney’s Mr. Ford’s website.
Lance Wallach, National Society of Accountants Speaker of the Year and member of the AICPA faculty of teaching professionals, is a frequent speaker on retirement plans, financial and estate planning, and abusive tax shelters. He writes about 412(i), 419, and captive insurance plans. He speaks at more than ten conventions annually, writes for over fifty publications, is quoted regularly in the press and has been featured on television and radio financial talk shows including NBC, National Public Radio's All Things Considered, and others. Lance has written numerous books including Protecting Clients from Fraud, Incompetence and Scams published by John Wiley and Sons, Bisk Education's CPA's Guide to Life Insurance and Federal Estate and Gift Taxation, as well as AICPA best-selling books, including Avoiding Circular 230 Malpractice Traps and Common Abusive Small Business Hot Spots. He does expert witness testimony and has never lost a case. Contact him at 516.938.5007, wallachinc@gmail.com or visit www.taxaudit419.com and www.taxlibrary.us
The information provided herein is not intended as legal, accounting, financial or any type of advice for any specific individual or other entity. You should contact an appropriate professional for any such advice.
You get what you pay for, how much do people pay for business appraisals?
Lance Wallach
Like any other professional service, such as legal services, medical care, or accounting services, the price of appraisal services should always be one consideration in selecting the professional or professional firm. However, it's usually not appropriate to shop for the lowest priced vendor, or to use competitive bidding to obtain the lowest price. The heart patient, whose life may depend on the skill and judgment of his surgeon, wouldn't be smart to put his surgery out to bid. Similarly, the client whose financial fortunes may rely on the quality of work or the effectiveness of testimony by his valuation expert should probably not make a decision on hiring an appraiser based primarily on lowest fees.
In a business appraisal, the low-end software-driven product should be approached with caution. In general these products are designed to give quick, and not necessarily accurate answers to price shoppers, and by design deny the client the expertise of the appraiser's many years of valuation wisdom. Often these are done by part-time appraisers, or are loss leaders intended to lure clients into more expensive consulting agreements. People should beware of any appraiser who is willing to render an opinion of value without a personal interview, and hands-on inspection of the company's financial and administrative records.
The relationship between quality of services and fees is not linear: there are factors unrelated to the quality of the services that affect the fees demanded for them. For example, the basic amount of work the appraiser has to perform for an appraisal is driven by the professional standards he must follow in conducting the appraisal. The emergence of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) as the controlling rules for appraisal engagements has increased the amount of work appraisers must do, even for simple appraisal assignments.
Services Offered:
business valuation services, acquisitions, mergers, buy-sell
agreements,business evaluation, expert testimony, estate taxes,
valuation services, business planning, company valuation methods
The largest single driver of appraisal cost though, is the purpose to which the client desires to put the appraisal result. Appraisals for use as informal pricing guides for sellers or buyers require the least amount of work on the continuum of effort, and appraisals done for use in contentious litigation probably require the most effort. In between these extremes are appraisals for other purposes, such as buy/sell agreements, partnership agreements, estate planning, asset allocation, divorce, etc.
Preliminary Analyses, Value Studies - $3,000 to $10,000.
These kinds of less-than-comprehensive valuation efforts can be well suited for situations where a client needs a ballpark estimate of value, perhaps as a starting point for sales negotiations, or to achieve a better understanding of the value drivers in his company. Often this type of assignment is begun with a Value Study to identify the value drivers of the subject business entity, and followed-on with consulting over a period of time to prepare the business and the owner for subsequent sale.
Limited Partnership Appraisals - Value in Real Property Assets Only - Discount Study - $3,000 to $10,000.
The typical setting for this kind of appraisal is a Family Partnership formed to protect real property assets from estate taxation. Usually the partnership has no income distributions to the limited partners, and all of the profit is paid to the General Partner. The value of the entity is based on its assets, and the values of the real property assets are provided to us by the real estate appraiser. Our assignment is to estimate the value of small minority limited partnership holdings in the entity, and to assign marketability and minority discounts from the enterprise value, if applicable. These projects typically involve only a summary report. You also need to be aware that at some point the IRS may be looking at this. Maybe you want to use a firm with ex IRS people on staff?
EP Abusive Tax Transactions
EP Abusive Tax Transactions - Deductions for Excess Life Insurance in a Section 412(i) or Other Defined Benefit Plan
In February 2004, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued four items of guidance to shut down abuses involving the use of certain specially designed life insurance policies in retirement plans. Generally, these special policies are made available only to highly compensated employees.
The guidance items address situations where these special policies, often used in conjunction with Section 412(i) plans, are used to artificially increase the deductible contributions to retirement plans while greatly reducing the amount taxable when the policies are distributed to the plan participant.
One of the items of guidance is Revenue Ruling 2004-20 which restricts the improper use of section 412(i) plans and limits the deductibility of employer contributions used to acquire excess life insurance protection.
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