FEBRUARY 2018
LEGAL ANSWERS ALL THE ANSWERS TO YOUR LEGAL QUESTIONS
chicagotaxteam.com | (312) 664-6649 |150 N Michigan Ave #1120, Chicago, Illinois 60601
HAVE YOU FILED YOUR TAXES?
Alright everyone, it’s that time of the year again — time to file your taxes. Since this is my busiest time of the year, you may have heard more of my radio ads and seen more print and online advertisements. Many people are not aware that my job not only encompasses battling the IRS on behalf of my clients, but I also help my clients file tax returns, too. My advice for those filing is to get them done as soon as possible. Don’t wait around until the last second or think that you can procrastinate because you know you’ll owe at the end of the process. Get them done well before April 15. Don’t miss the deadline! While it’s important for everyone to file their taxes on time if they don’t want any trouble with the IRS, it is extremely important to file your taxes on time if you have found yourself in trouble with the IRS in the past. "Why?" you ask. Because of compliance. If you have been in trouble with the IRS, your case was settled, and you are now in good standing, all of that can change if you fail to file at any point during the rest of your life. For example: If, as part of your agreement, the IRS forgave a portion of your debt, but you do not file your taxes two years later, the agreement both you and the IRS signed can be nullified, and your debt can be reinstated. In the eyes of the IRS, your failure to file taxes is a clear cancellation of any agreement you made with them. So don’t forget to file your taxes, and if you need help, call me. "If you have been in trouble with the IRS, your case was settled, and you are now in good standing, all of that can change if you fail to file at any point during the rest of your life." If you would like an experienced tax attorney to help you file your 2017 taxes, simply call Bonnie at (312) 664-6649 to set up an appointment with me. As an added bonus, if you bring me last year’s receipt, I will do it for half the price the other guys charged you. I understand that nobody wants multiple people handling their taxes, and it can be hard to switch, but I assure you, I am the best man for the job.
We also offer a program at the Law Offices of Steven A. Leahy called the IRS Protection Plan. Clients who opt for this plan receive help when planning for taxes, have the power of attorney on file with the IRS to address any issues that may pop up in the future, and receive assistance with their tax return at the end of the year. Clients who opt for this program pay a monthly fee based on their returns, so rates vary. If you are interested in this program, please give Bonnie a call and schedule an appointment with me.
See you soon.
–Steven Leahy
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MAKE YOUR MEETINGS MATTER Tips to Get the Most out of Your Time
Ask yourself, “What are the biggest time wasters in my office?” If your workplace is like most, it’s a safe guess that social media and meetings are on your list.
go. If, however, their time could be more wisely spent, you shouldn’t force them to attend. Prioritize who needs to be at the meeting and whose time could be better used elsewhere.
Maybe there’s a way you can eliminate social media from your office or, at least, curtail its use. However, meetings are an essential part of effective workplace communication. The question, then, isn’t how to get rid of meetings, but rather how to make them more efficient. With that in mind, here are a few tips for getting the most out of your meetings. Have a Game Plan If you don’t have a reason for a meeting, don’t have a meeting. Weekly meetings can be a great way to catch your staff up on the latest news and issues at the office, but there’s no need to make them the same length of time every week. You should never feel like you need to fill a certain number of minutes. Instead, get to the heart of what you’re talking about, allow the staff to ask questions, and then get back to work.
Start With Big Ideas A meeting should be a forum for hashing out concerns and tackling big-picture concepts. If you’re listing off a slew of granular changes, those aren’t the ingredients for a productive meeting. Information like that can be disseminated in other forms. As you discuss a larger concern, details relating to it will arise during your discussion. Ask yourself if the meeting has a larger topic that merits discussion.
Engage Your Participants A meeting should be just that. If you’re not expecting collaboration, don’t call it a meeting.
Tell your staff you’re giving a presentation and
they’ll come ready to take notes. But if you want to actually have a meeting, every participant should come ready and willing to engage with the ideas on the table.
Allow Exceptions
There’s no surer way to make an attendee anxious than pulling them away from an important task. Nobody should skip out on a meeting simply because they don’t want to
Suzanne has been with us longer than anyone — about 15 years. So she understands the processes from beginning to end. Suzanne controls our office and answers my personal telephone line at 312-499-0649. Her email is suzanne@opemonline.com. If you call and I’m not available, Suzanne will take your message and make sure I call you back. She also helps gather all the paperwork necessary to put a complete financial picture together. The documents generally include the following: past tax returns, pay advises, bank statements, budget information (along with substantiation), and anything else we can think of that will strengthen your position. Suzanne will often gather third-party information. That includes credit reports and public records from motor vehicle registrations, deed transfers, driver licenses, liens and judgments, tax assessor records, corporate affiliations, historical person locator, and utility locators. We do all this to make sure the information we provide to outside parties (the IRS, US Trustee Department, Department of Justice, etc.) is complete and correct. So when Suzanne calls, cooperate with her fully. She is here to help!
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Take aNote FromWesley Snipes: PayYour IncomeTaxes I have heard my fair share of wild conspiracy theories, but one of the craziest I’ve ever heard has to do with federal taxes and the IRS. Some people believe that no provision of the IRS requires anyone to file or pay income taxes. They believe this tax, unlike other internal revenue taxes, is strictly censored. So, in order to deceive Americans of this and to provide federal courts and the IRS with deceptive passages on which to hang illegal prosecutions and search and seizures, the internal revenue code was written to make paying income taxes appear mandatory. Crazy, right?
These people believe that we, as Americans, have all been tricked into paying our taxes. What’s even crazier is that I have had multiple people over the course of my career come to me and say, “I believe this conspiracy theory, and I haven’t paid my taxes for years. Will you help me?” I always say, “No, how can I? If I believed that American citizens don’t really have to pay their taxes, I wouldn’t pay mine either!” One of the most famous people to believe this conspiracy theory — and pay heavily for it — is Wesley Snipes. For three years, Snipes refused to file and pay his federal income taxes. He was a protester. He didn’t believe the federal government had the right to take is money. He even hired some very expensive attorneys to fight for his cause, and after many years, he was convicted and served a three-year prison
sentence. If Snipes, a man with deep pockets and many connections, can’t fight the IRS on federal income taxes, what makes people who earn a modest living think they can?
In the end, Snipes served a year in prison for every year he refused to file his taxes, and you will too if you make the same choice. My advice for all of you who believe this strange conspiracy theory is to file your taxes and pay them on time. And if you are behind, call The Law Offices of Steven A. Leahy at (312) 664-6649 and get help!
TRIVIA
MEMES Don't forget to listen to the IRS Radio Hour every SUNDAY AT 5:00 P.M. ON AM 560 THE ANSWER
1. Ben & Jerry’s was originally going to be a:
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The creator of the Nike “swoosh” logo was originally only paid $35 for it. Who created the logo in 1971? A. Carolyn Davidson
A. Soup Company B. Bagel Company C. Sandwich Company D. Yogurt Company
Be the first to call with all the right answers and win FREE movie tickets!
B. Phil Knight C. Rob Janoff D. Ruth Kedar
2.
What shape is hidden in the FedEx logo? A. Mail box
B. Letter C. Plane D. Arrow
3.
The first Ford automobile, the Model A, was sold in what year?
A. 1896 B. 1899 C. 1903 D. 1913
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Phone: (312) 664-6649 chicagotaxteam.com 150 N Michigan Ave #1120, Chicago, Illinois 60601
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I N S I D E
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It’s Time to File Your Taxes!
Make Your Meetings Matter
Meet Suzanne Anderson!
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What We Can Learn FromWesley Snipes
Trivia
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Presidents Day or Washington’s Birthday
The Tangled History of Presidents Day How the Holiday Came to Be On the third Monday in February, the entire nation
in Washington, D.C. Six years later, it was expanded to include all federal offices nationwide. And for the next century or so, nothing changed.
celebrates Presidents Day … sort of. While the holiday is known colloquially as Presidents Day, its official federal name is still Washington’s Birthday. If that wasn’t confusing enough, different states
However, in 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This bill officially moved holidays that were once celebrated on specific dates, like Memorial Day and Columbus Day, to a particular Monday in a given month. This allowed for three-day weekends and, hopefully, encouraged retail sales with an extra day of shopping. But this, unintentionally, moved Washington’s birthday celebration to a day between his actual birthday and the birthday of another venerated president, Abraham Lincoln. By the late 20th century, Lincoln’s reputation and legacy were as titanic as Washington’s. Because Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, many states found it appropriate to make the day a commemoration of two great presidents rather than just one. By the 1980s, “Presidents Day”was the more widely acknowledged name, if not the official designation. Why it hasn’t received a uniform federal name is anyone’s guess, but at least when you say “Presidents Day,” everyone knows what you’re talking about. No matter what you call it, the day is a chance to celebrate some of the people who’ve made lasting contributions to our nation’s history. If you look at any presidential ranking, Washington and Lincoln are probably No. 1 and No. 2. It’s fitting, then, that we celebrate their birthdays in tandem.
officially know it as “Presidents Day,”“Lincoln/ Washington/Presidents Day,”“Washington- Lincoln Day,”“George Washington Day,”
and more. Let’s untangle how all these variant names came about and delve into the fascinating history of the holiday.
Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1731. Given his incredible contribution to the founding of the United States, it’s understandable that a national holiday would be established to commemorate his legacy. The holiday
was first established in 1879 for employees
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