Posted on 07/24/2011 5:06:36 PM PDT by truthkeeper
Melinda Smith of Murfreesboro divorced her husband in 2007. Not long after, she received a bill for $30,000 in unpaid taxes related to her ex-husband’s business.
Smith thought she would have no trouble qualifying for innocent-spouse relief — freedom from responsibility even if the couple filed jointly — but she was wrong. The IRS denied her application and advised her to sue her ex-husband in civil court for the money.
Fearful that she would lose her home, Smith sought help from the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee. Her attorney, Robert Nadler, appealed the IRS ruling, and in the spring of 2009 Smith was granted innocent-spouse relief.
“I remember doing a little dance around the house,” she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sandiego-cpafirm.com ...
>>Cathy Marie Lantz’s husband, Richard Chentnik, a dentist, was arrested on charges of Medicare fraud in 2000. The IRS assessed the couple for $900,000 in additional taxes, interest and penalties. Chentnik told his wife he would file an innocent-spouse claim on her behalf, but died in a halfway house before submitting the application. By the time Lantz filed a claim, the two-year deadline had passed, and her application was denied.
The Tax Court overturned the IRS ruling, but the IRS appealed. While it agreed that the IRS’ decision was harsh, an appeals court upheld the IRS decision.<<
Proof, you can’t take it with you, but they’ll take it FROM you...
Legal Aid = taxdollars?
One more reason I’ve stayed single for the last 35 years.
Very smart move. I love the fact that these women were living high off the hog when their husbands were committing tax fraud. They never questioned it then. Then when it comes back on them, it’s “poor me.”
Now I do believe innocent spouse claims CAN be legitimate. My hubby’s ex wife forged his signature on their last joint tax return before divorcing. She raided the three children’s college funds and “forgot” to claim the withdrawal, hoping to stick her soon to be ex-husband with the taxes and penalties. After over a year of solid paperwork and her seeing the paperwork go back and forth (she was receiving a copy of everything filed re: innocent spouse on his behalf) she tried to talk him into paying the reduced taxes and penalties!!!
Talk about Golden Uterus Complex!!!!! She now is engaging in extortion by way of Child Support. $1,000 a month and hubby only makes $15 an hour. And of course we live in NYS where child support goes mandatory to 21 (she’ll probably find a way to make it go longer than 21 years undoubtedly)
Oh did I mention she’s a Child Protective Worker (who purposely trash talked hubby so they don’t want to go to visitation anymore) See “Parental Alienation.”
They make their beds. They can lay in them and stop soaking other taxpayers.
“One more reason I’ve stayed single for the last 35 years.”
One more reason that I married someone born halfway around the world. She has better things to do prove to her friends that she “doesn’t need a man”.
Funny how the last line in the article says you have to prove your innocence to the government, instead of them having to prove you are guilty. Free country, huh? Government of the people, huh? Some things need to change.
Sounds a lot like receiving or purchasing stolen goods. As an inoccent spouse, you may not have known about it, it may not be fair, but you did enjoy the benefits of it. The law would not be so kind of your spouse was a bank robber.
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