Attorney Pedram Ben-Cohen's Legal Cases

Tax

Foreign Bank Account

N/A

OUTCOME: Ben-Cohen Law Firm represented Taxpayer in the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program. Pedram Ben-Cohen negotiated with the IRS Agent and IRS Technical Advisor to reduce Taxpayer’s offshore penalty from 25% to 5%.

Taxpayer’s late husband opened an account at Bank Leumi, Israel during the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The account was never reported to U.S. authorities. Taxpayer’s husband passed away and Taxpayer be ... gan receiving letters from the bank providing that her foreign account information may be turned over to the IRS.

Tax fraud and tax evasion

Audit

N/A

OUTCOME: Pedram Ben-Cohen (1) prevented the audit from spreading to earlier and subsequent years, (2) convinced the agent not to refer the case to IRS Criminal Investigation, and (3) closed the audit without assessment of civil fraud penalties.

A successful dentist was under audit by the IRS. The dentist substantially underreported the income from his dental practice over a period of years. Taxpayer had huge unexplained deposits in his bank a ... ccounts that he did not properly report as income on his tax return. This was a classic eggshell audit.

Tax

IRS Subpoena

N/A

OUTCOME: Ben-Cohen Law Firm represented Taxpayer during the criminal investigation and responded to the subpoena. Pedram Ben-Cohen convinced the DOJ attorney handling the investigation to close the investigation and decline prosecution.

A prominent Texas businessman was served with a subpoena in connection with a criminal investigation being conducted into Taxpayer’s foreign account at Credit Suisse, Switzerland.

Tax fraud and tax evasion

Secret Account

N/A

OUTCOME: Ben-Cohen Law Firm advised Taxpayer to file amended returns and delinquent FBARs (a quiet disclosure). Subsequently, Taxpayer was audited by the IRS and Pedram Ben-Cohen closed the examination with no FBAR penalties assessed.

Taxpayer owned a secret foreign account at UBS, Switzerland. Taxpayer received letters from the bank providing that Taxpayer’s account information may be turned over to the IRS.

Tax

Real Estate Lien

N/A

OUTCOME: I (1) immediately release the levy, (2) fully refund the taxes (plus interest) incorrectly assessed against the partnership, and (3) correct IRS records to reflect that the partnership does not have any foreign partners.

The accountant of a successful Los Angeles based real estate partnership mistakenly included a foreign person as a 10% partner of the partnership. In reality, the real estate partnership never had any ... foreign partners and it was owned 100% by U.S. persons. The IRS began levying the rental income of the real estate partnership for alleged withholding taxes owed on the foreign partner’s share of partnership income.

Tax

Retirement Distribution Audit

N/A

OUTCOME: Pedram Ben-Cohen filed a Tax Court Petition and concurrently sought a ruling from the IRS waiving the 60-day rollover requirement. Pedram Ben-Cohen was successful in obtaining the ruling and Taxpayer’s retirement savings was not taxed.

Taxpayer participated in his employer’s retirement plan. Taxpayer’s employer was acquired by another company, at which time, the employer’s retirement plan was terminated, and Taxpayer received a distr ... ibution check representing his retirement savings. In order to exempt the distribution from being subject to tax, Taxpayer was required to rollover his distribution check into another retirement account within 60 days of receiving the check. Taxpayer did not timely rollover the distribution check and received notice from the IRS that his entire retirement savings was being taxed.

Tax

Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program

N/A

OUTCOME: Taxpayers engaged the Ben-Cohen Law Firm to represent them in connection with the examination of Taxpayers’ foreign accounts. Pedram Ben-Cohen closed the examination with no FBAR penalties assessed.

Taxpayers were U.S. citizens of Greek descent who established residency in Greece. In Greece, Taxpayers established companies to manufacture and sell mountain sports equipment and apparel. Taxpayers ow ... ned several foreign accounts in Greece with high balances. Taxpayers, on the advice of another law firm, entered the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program. Subsequently, Taxpayers were kicked out of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program because their attorneys did not cooperate with the Revenue Agent assigned to Taxpayers’ case.

Tax

IRS Audit

N/A

OUTCOME: An administrative innocent spouse claim filed with the IRS and appealed. IRS Appeals granted wife partial innocent spouse relief. Mr. Ben-Cohen filed a petition with the United States Tax Court and the IRS granted wife's innocent spouse claim in full.

Taxpayers, husband and wife, were in the middle of a divorce, and the IRS audited their tax returns. Husband was a musician and his income was reported on IRS Form Schedule C (Profit or Loss From Busin ... ess). Wife was a W-2 employee and properly reported all of her wage income. The IRS Agent proposed significant adjustments to Taxpayers' tax return. All the adjustments related to Husband's music business.

Pedram Ben-Cohen's Legal Cases (8)