Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Employment Law StrategistLJN NewslettersNewsSections

2010 IRS Employment Tax Crackdown

By Sherrard Lee 'Butch' Hayes and Julie Chen
September 29, 2010

In the summer of 2009, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) unveiled its “Employment Tax National Research Project,” an initiative to review and audit comprehensively the employment tax practices of 6,000 randomly selected businesses across the country from 2010 to 2012. It is the first time since the 1980s that the IRS has implemented an employment tax audit of this magnitude. Accordingly, any business selected for this audit should expect an intense and detailed examination into their tax records, compliance, and reporting practices.

The stated purpose of the IRS audit is to collect data that will help the agency better understand the areas in which businesses most frequently fail to comply with employment tax laws and related reporting requirements. The IRS plans to use these audits to secure statistically valid information for computing the “Employment Tax Gap” (the difference between the amount of tax owed by taxpayers and the amount actually paid voluntarily and on time by taxpayers ' last estimated to be approximately $350 billion), and to determine compliance characteristics so that it can address the most noncompliant employment tax areas going forward.

This premium content is locked for Employment Law Strategist subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

Compliance Officers: Recent Regulatory Guidance and Enforcement Actions and Mitigating the Risk of Personal Liability Image

This article explores legal developments over the past year that may impact compliance officer personal liability.