IRS Tax Investigations Attorney

If You Are Being Investigated By The IRS, Now Is The Time To Contact An Attorney

If you know that you are being investigated by the IRS for potential tax fraud, evasion or other crimes, do not wait until you receive an audit notice or have criminal charges filed against you to seek legal counsel. A qualified attorney may be able to take steps now that can help to overcome the threats you face as the investigation moves forward.

Attorney Lance Drury and his team provide comprehensive legal services to clients in all aspects of IRS investigations. Mr. Drury is a highly skilled defense lawyer with 10 years of experience as a public defender as well as several years in private practice working in criminal defense. Our attorneys in St. Louis, Nashville, Ste. Genevieve possess an in-depth knowledge of tax law which allows us to be much more proactive in our efforts to obtain a positive result on your behalf.

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We understand how overwhelming it can be to learn that the IRS has you in its radar. We will be there with you throughout the process, addressing any issues that arise and diligently working to protect your interests. Contact us today to schedule a free confidential consultation.

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IRS Tax Investigations

An IRS tax investigation is the process by which the IRS looks into whether you have committed any crimes related to your taxes. Typically, such investigations only occur when the IRS has a good reason to believe you may have committed a tax crime. Such an investigation will likely have an impact on your life, even if you are innocent.

This is not the same as being audited. An audit merely checks whether your taxes are accurate without considering whether a discrepancy may be illegal or simply a mistake. However, an audit can lead to an investigation if there is evidence of evasion, fraud, or other such crimes. Furthermore, you won’t be investigated for simply being unable to pay your taxes provided that you file your returns unless the government suspects that your inability to pay is fraudulent or that you have committed some other crime.

IRS tax investigations are conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division. An investigation may last for several years and involve interviews of your friends, family, employers, bankers, associates, co-workers, and others. Criminal tax code violations can result in very serious consequences ranging from large fines to jail time. Plus, it can sometimes result in major financial, personal, and social struggles.

Regardless of whether you are innocent of any tax crimes, you should contact an IRS tax investigation lawyer immediately when you learn of an investigation. These processes are serious business.

Schedule A No-Obligation Tax Consultation

Contact us today and get relief from your tax burden. You can also receive a FREE chapter from the best-selling book, Protect and Defend, just by requesting it from the form below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Know If the IRS Is Investigating You?

Unfortunately, you may not know that you are being investigated by the IRS. Unlike other proceedings such as audits, tax investigations do not require disclosure to the subject. Therefore, you may not know that you are being investigated until the final stages of the process.

The good news is that there are some signs that you are being investigated. If any of these happen, you should think carefully about your next steps and consider hiring an attorney:

IRS Stops Contact: An IRS agent has been pursuing you about your tax debt but suddenly stops. If you can no longer get in touch with the agent, your case may have been referred to the Criminal Investigation Division. The same applies to an audit. If it suddenly seems to stop without warning or final resolution, you may be under investigation. This sign is not as certain as some of the others. However, it may be wise to consult an attorney at this point.
IRS Agent Is Very Interested: While audits often happen due to errors or misunderstandings, they can sometimes be the result of criminal activity. If the IRS agent is very interested in certain transactions, requested a lot of documentation, or focused on the intent of transactions rather than the form, that could be a sign of an investigation.
CID Agent Contacts You: If a CID agent contacts you in an official capacity, it is about an investigation. The investigation may not be into you, but it is definitely a good idea to get legal help before speaking with the agent.
Bank Records Requested: Your bank may inform you that the IRS has summoned your bank records or the U.S. Attorney’s Office has subpoenaed them. If this happens, you are almost certainly under investigation and should contact a lawyer immediately.
Accountant Contacted: If your accountant has been contacted by investigators or your tax records have been subpoenaed from them, you will need an attorney. Keep in mind that your conversations with your accountant are not legally privileged. The government can compel your accountant to be a witness against you in a criminal case.

Does the IRS Look at Your Bank Account?

Yes, the IRS can summon your bank account records or subpoena them with the help of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. During IRS tax investigations, it is reasonable to assume that the IRS either has reviewed your bank records or will in the future. This can also happen during an audit if the discrepancies are sufficiently serious. However, it is worth noting that the IRS typically does not dig deep into your bank records unless it believes doing so is necessary (such as you may have committed a crime or have been selected for an audit).

How Does the IRS Prove Tax Evasion?

Fraud is a difficult charge to prove in many cases because it requires fraudulent intent. Simply having a mismatch between your finances and your tax filings/payments is not enough to prove fraud. The IRS typically relies on a combination of circumstantial evidence and “reasonable inference.” Interviews with your associates, particularly your accountant, may play a big role in establishing fraud. The CID will try to show that there is an active and intentional effort to commit tax fraud.

What Is it Called When the IRS Investigates Your Taxes?

Schedule A No-Obligation Tax Consultation

Contact us today and get relief from your tax burden. You can also receive a FREE chapter from the best-selling book, Protect and Defend, just by requesting it from the form below.