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The Importance of Timing

The Ferraro Law Firm
Washington D.C. — Miami, Florida

The timing of an IRS tax whistleblower claim is a factor that can be easily overlooked, but that is nonetheless important to consider for several reasons, including:

  • Statute of limitations requirements — In general, the statute of limitations on assessments is three years from the time the return was filed. However, many corporate taxpayers extend this period by agreement with the IRS in an effort to resolve their cases before litigation. If you have information that falls outside the general three-year window it does not mean that your information will not be of use. Contact us to discuss statute of limitations issues.
  • The size of the underpayment(s) in question — The new law requires that the tax underpayment you are providing information on be at least $2 million when you include the tax, penalties, and interest. When you factor in penalties and interest the size of a tax underpayment often doubles. Furthermore, if you are going to report an underpayment involving an individual taxpayer, the income of that individual must have exceeded $200,000 in the year that the tax was due.
  • "The early bird gets the worm" — Simply put, if you wait too long to report an underpayment, someone else could report the underpayment before you get the chance or the IRS may find it themselves. While this in itself may not preclude you from receiving a portion of any recovered taxes, it certainly could, and at that very least, will significantly reduce any eventual award.

At The Ferraro Law Firm, we help clients in Florida and throughout the nation maximize their tax whistleblower awards in many ways. One of these involves timing. How do we accomplish this? Our attorneys thoroughly investigate and prepare each claim with an eye towards both detailed factual documentation AND the actual timing of the claim itself.

Confidential Consultations, Nationwide Practice — 1-800-275-3332

If you have information concerning an individual or corporate taxpayer and would like to learn more before you report the underpayment, call or contact us directly at our Washington D.C. or Miami, Florida, area offices to schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced tax lawyer.

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The Ferraro Law Firm

1270 New Hampshire Avenue
Washington, DC 20036

4000 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 700
Miami, Florida 33146

Nationwide Toll Free Number: 1-800-275-3332


The Ferraro Law Firm, with offices in Miami, Florida, and Washington D.C., represents tax whistleblower clients from across the nation, including those from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Washington, and California, and cities such as New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, Hartford, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston.

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