To people who are considering bankruptcy to get out of debt
ARE you seriously in debt and thinking of filing bankruptcy as a last resort? Individuals who have accumulated excessive debt are often left to ponder whether they should file bankruptcy…
Category: Consumer Columnists
Read More
Visa applicants may soon be required to submit social media details
“Applicants for diplomatic or official visas will be exempt from the proposed revised questions.” ON March 30, 2018, the Department of State published in the Federal Register its…
Company files Chapter 7 due to $1 million judgment
THE client is a corporation that has been in business since 2000. It had good times and bad over the last two decades but always managed to land on its…
OIC basics: Series 1
STARTING March 27, 2017, new applications for offer in compromise (OIC) plus the application fee will be returned by the IRS if all required income tax returns are not filed…
Fraud audit – What to do
CRIMINAL Investigations can be initiated from information obtained from within the IRS when a Revenue Agent (auditor) or Revenue Officer (collection) detects possible fraud. Information is also routinely received from…
Company files Chapter 7 due to $1 million judgment
THE client is a corporation that has been in business since 2000. It had good times and bad over the last two decades but always managed to land on its…
Sex discrimination in the workplace: A continuing problem
THESE days, employers generally know that gender discrimination, i.e., singling out someone for negative treatment just because of their sex, is illegal. Employers may have a handbook saying all the…
Can’t pay your student loans?
THE cost of a college education has spiraled out of control for most families. In the last 10 years, student loan debt has sharply risen from $240 billion to $1…
What to do when the IRS contacts you
WHAT you need to do when you received a call or notice from the IRS? Below are some tips that you should be aware of: • Revenue Officer (RO) observes…
IRS fraud audit warning signs
THE Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) conducts investigations regarding violations of the Internal Revenue Code, the Bank Secrecy Act, and Money Laundering statutes. What are warning signs…
Client’s ‘friend’ uses her identity to borrow $80K in credit cards
TWO clients with issues relating to known and unknown persons who used their names and social security information to borrow credit card in their names. The first client is 51…
Remedies for employees and consumers when their personal data is stolen
Q: I work at a hospital and we heard rumors that our computer servers were hacked. As a result, both patient and employee information were stolen. I am very worried…
Don’t let abusive bill collectors treat you like a criminal
IF you are delinquent in your debt obligations and are being pursued by bill collectors, you may be wondering what these bill collectors can do to force you to pay….
How to prevent falls
DID you know that every 35 minutes an older American dies from a traumatic brain and head injuries precipitated by a fall? In fact, each year 2 million American seniors…
Senior seeks Chapter 7 relief for $40K in credit card debt
THE client is a senior at 67. He is married but has been separated from his wife for some time. He lives with a woman but is not married to…
Can employees be entitled to more than 12 weeks of medical leave?
Q: AFTER 12 weeks of medical leave for a surgery, I suffered new complications and my doctor told me I needed to take more leave time. I told my employer…
2018 extension forms and due dates for last year’s 2017 tax returns
* * * Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV…
Chapter 13: Stop creditors and pay only what you can
IF you are struggling to pay your bills every month due to insufficient income and/or excessive expenses, there is a way to make your debts more manageable so you can…
Client files Chapter 13 to handle $120K credit cards
THE client is 50 years old and divorced. She owns her residence by herself. Ex-husband quitclaimed the house to her in the divorce and she agreed to buy him off…
Exclusion of gain from sale of home
“Any use use other than as your principal residence is nonqualified use. This includes vacation home, renting it out, vacancy and allowing someone’s living in it.” (Part 1) You may exclude…
Bankruptcy: Why blaming yourself will not help
BEING in debt can be pretty depressing. I understand how you feel. When you’re drowning in debt, you may feel that your situation is hopeful and you have no motivation…
Client files Chapter 13 to handle $120K credit card debt
The client is 50 years old and divorced. She owns her residence by herself. Ex-husband quitclaimed the house to her in the divorce and she agreed to buy him off…
Women & minority employees continue fight for pay equality
INGRID Avendano, Roxana Lopez, and Ana Medina are female Latina software engineers employed by Uber, a multi-billion dollar company that provides on-demand transportation and food delivery services globally. The engineers…
Is the IRS Appeals Office independent?
IF you lose an IRS audit, you have two choices: pay or appeal. Your decision depends on how you feel about the fairness of the auditor, amount of assessment, cost…
Business owner seeks Chapter 7 relief from employee lawsuit for backpay of $100K
Secured creditor client seeks relief from buyer who filed Chapter 11 “ In any event, client does not have $100K. Client decides to have a fresh start in life with a Chapter 7…
Who else is liable for unpaid wages?
WHAT happens when your employer faces difficulties paying a significant claim for wages? Information regarding the identity of the various “employers” becomes important when employees have serious claims for unpaid…
IRS audits schedule C of sole proprietors
IRS loves to audit Schedule C. This form is filed by taxpayers who conduct their businesses as sole proprietors (popularly referred to as “DBA” or doing business as) instead of…
3 reasons why bankruptcy might be the best solution for debt problems
IF you’re in debt and are considering bankruptcy as an option for you to get needed relief, perhaps just hearing the word “bankruptcy” makes you extremely nervous. Maybe the word…
Solar energy credit for residential
A SOLAR electric residential property to be qualified for the credit must meet the following requirements: 1. Costs paid must be for qualified for solar electric property. 2. Qualified solar…
Business owner files Chapter 7 due to $1-M labor lawsuits
THE client is 65. He operates a service-oriented business with three outlets in strip malls. He has been in business for eight years. Of the three outlets, two are losing…