It's good to be the best.

And, it appears that it would cost me only $249 to achieve that distinction.

Here's the text of an email that offers to crown me "The Best"...

(6/13/14) Congress has enacted a "taxpayer bill of rights" several times over the past few decades, first in 1988, then again in 1996.  A third version, in 1998, never got out of committee.

Fast forward to 2014: This time, the IRS is claiming credit for "adopting" a new Taxpayer Bill of Rights.  Actually, there is nothing new here, as these rights are codified in various places of the Internal Revenue Code, but the IRS has simplified and organized the concepts in 10 clearly stated taxpayer rights, which will be included with IRS audit and determination correspondence to taxpayers. 

The IRS has seen a recent increase in local phone scams across the country, with callers pretending to be from the IRS in hopes of stealing money or identities from victims.

These phone scams include many variations, ranging from instances from where callers say the victims owe money or are entitled to a huge refund. Some calls can threaten arrest and threaten a driver’s license revocation. Sometimes these calls are paired with follow-up calls from people saying they are from the local police department or the state motor vehicle department. After threatening victims with jail time or a driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.

In another variation, one sophisticated phone scam has targeted taxpayers, including recent immigrants, throughout the country. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.

States have Billions in Lost Money -- Some of It Might Be Yours

It’s time for your annual “Trick or Treat” visit to the state Controller’s web site to look for bank accounts, investments, security deposits etc that you lost track of years ago. It is remarkably easy, and can actually be fun. In less than 10 minutes, I found at least 5 of my clients on the list!

All states have “unclaimed property” laws that require unclaimed property to be turned over to the state after a specified period (usually 7 years). The states then hold this money, indefinitely, until someone turns up with a valid claim. Most states offer searchable web sites to help reunite owners with their lost funds.

    (8/5/13) Tax delinquents, you could be riding the bus in the near future! Under a new program, a New York State driver license can be suspended when a taxpayer’s past-due tax liability exceeds $10,000. The crackdown is the result of legislation signed into law earlier this year.