On March 22nd, a landscaper from Guilford Connecticut, Louis Pocograno, pled guilty to tax evasion and will be sentenced on June 14, 2019. What started as an audit notice from the IRS, eventually revealed that this self employed landscaper, Poco & Son Lawn Care, LLC, failed to report income during the audit period of 2013 to 2016. He also used a portion of the cash to pay undocumented workers he employed, and failed to collect and pay over the employment taxes for these employees. Mr. Pocograno faces possibly five years in prison, has to pay the IRS $33,383 in past income tax, an additional $250,364.59, in employment tax , plus interest and penalties. Read more.
Once you receive an initial audit notice from the IRS, you should immediately consult with an attorney. Most people contact their tax preparer first, which can be a big mistake. Your communications with your tax preparer are not confidential; meaning the IRS can ask the tax preparer to provide documentation, your emails or letters or other materials that you provided. With an attorney, your communications are confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege. So, you can communicate freely with your attorney and no one including the IRS is entitled to discover those privileged communications. This allows you to tell your story without fear of incriminating yourself.
We represent individuals and businesses who are subject to IRS and other tax authority audit. We can work with your tax preparer as our expert or another accountant to resolve your issue and keep you out of trouble civilly and criminally. Our communications with the experts are confidential and protected by the attorney-work product privilege. This could mean the difference between resolution and the place the Mr. Pocograno finds himself civilly and criminally.
