IRS Whistleblower Attorney
We Help Individuals Nationwide Come Forward Under the IRS Whistleblower Program
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) routinely conducts audits and investigations targeting tax fraud, tax evasion, and other federal tax law violations. While the IRS acts on its own initiative in some cases, it also relies heavily on whistleblowers coming forward. We help whistleblowers report all types of statutory violations to the IRS, and we strongly encourage you to speak with a tax whistleblower attorney at our firm if you have questions about reporting tax evasion or any other tax crime.
Individuals who are prepared to come forward must follow strict procedures when contacting the IRS Whistleblower Office. Failure to follow these procedures can result in loss of federal whistleblower protection and reward eligibility. An experienced tax whistleblower lawyer at our firm can explain everything you need to know; and, if you decide to come forward, we can work directly with the IRS Whistleblower Office on your behalf.
5 Important Facts About Serving as an IRS Whistleblower
As a prospective IRS whistleblower, it is critical to ensure that you are making informed and timely decisions. With this in mind, here are five important facts to know if you are thinking about coming forward as a whistleblower under the IRS award program:
1. The IRS Accepts Whistleblower Complaints Under the Internal Revenue Code and Other Federal Statutes
The IRS accepts whistleblower complaints involving all types of federal tax violations. This means that whistleblowers can come forward if they have specific and credible information about suspected violations including (but not limited to):
- Failing to file federal tax returns
- Filing fraudulent tax returns (including underreporting gross income)
- Federal tax underpayments
- Making false statements to the IRS to avoid paying unpaid taxes
- Concealing income through abusive tax shelters
- Using other complex tax schemes to evade federal tax liability
- Other forms of federal tax non-compliance
We help eligible whistleblowers report violations of all federal internal revenue laws as well as laws such as the Bank Secrecy Act and Dodd-Frank Act. If you have any information that you believe the federal government may be able to use to help close the tax gap, we strongly encourage you to speak with one of our IRS whistleblower attorneys.
2. Whistleblowers Must Provide Original Information that Suggests an IRS Investigation is Warranted
To serve as an IRS whistleblower, you do not need to have definitive proof of wrongdoing. If you have specific and credible evidence of a suspected violation of the law, this is sufficient to support a whistleblower submission to the IRS. With that said, you must be sure that the IRS does not already have the information you are prepared to disclose—as providing “original” information is a key requirement for securing federal whistleblower protections and establishing your eligibility for a monetary award.
Our IRS attorneys have extensive experience handling tax whistleblower matters. If you have questions about submitting an IRS whistleblower claim, our attorneys can determine whether the information and supporting evidence you have in your possession is sufficient to warrant a whistleblower action. If it is, we can then communicate proactively with the IRS on your behalf to confirm your whistleblower eligibility.
3. IRS Whistleblowers Are Entitled to Strict Confidentiality and Anti-Retaliation Protections
If you are eligible to serve as an IRS whistleblower, you will be entitled to strict confidentiality should you decide to come forward. The IRS is required to protect whistleblowers’ identities, and our attorneys work alongside the IRS to help ensure that our whistleblower clients’ identities remain undisclosed. When necessary, federal law provides anti-retaliation protections for IRS whistleblowers as well.
4. IRS Whistleblower Rewards Are Available in Cases Involving Successful Enforcement Actions
IRS whistleblowers are also entitled to monetary awards when their whistleblower cases lead to successful enforcement actions. These awards have the potential to be substantial, as they are based on the amount the government collects in civil forfeitures or criminal fines. We discuss the monetary award provisions of the IRS whistleblower program in greater detail below.
5. Individuals Who Are Considering Coming Forward Can Hire an IRS Whistleblower Attorney at No Out-of-Pocket Cost
If you are considering coming forward as an IRS whistleblower, you can hire an attorney to represent you at no out-of-pocket cost. In all federal whistleblower cases, we provide legal representation on a contingency-fee basis, which means that our attorney fees (if any) are calculated as a percentage of the funds we help our clients recover. If you choose to work with an IRS whistleblower attorney at our firm:
- We will provide the advice and insights you need to make an informed decision about coming forward at no cost.
- If you decide not to come forward for any reason, you will owe us nothing for our legal services.
- If you decide to come forward and your whistleblower case is successful, our fees will be paid out of the funds the IRS collects based on the information you provided.
The specific details of our contingency-fee arrangement will be clearly laid out in your engagement agreement. If you have any questions, we are more than happy to go over anything you would like to know.
IRS Whistleblower Awards: Award Percentages When the IRS Recovers Back Taxes and/or Monetary Sanctions
Under the IRS’s whistleblower award program, the agency’s Whistleblower Office “pays monetary awards to eligible individuals whose information is used by the IRS.” As the IRS goes on to explain, “[t]he award amount generally is 15% to 30% of the proceeds collected and attributable to the whistleblower’s information.”
When desired, we work with the IRS on behalf of our clients to seek the maximum award amount available. If you are interested in maximizing your award eligibility, we can explain the steps you need to take to improve your chances of securing a maximum award before you commit to coming forward.
FAQs: What Prospective IRS Whistleblowers Need to Know
What types of tax law violations can I report to the IRS Whistleblower Office?
Whistleblowers can report any and all tax law violations to the IRS Whistleblower Office. This includes violations committed by individuals, small businesses, major corporations, and all other U.S. taxpayers. While the IRS can only pursue enforcement for violations dating back a certain number of tax years, we encourage prospective whistleblowers to contact us regardless of the age of any apparent violations.
Can I report tax fraud under the False Claims Act?
While the False Claims Act prohibits individuals and entities from submitting “false or fraudulent” claims to the federal government, tax fraud is generally excepted from the False Claims Act’s prohibitions. Instead, whistleblowers must report tax fraud under the Internal Revenue Code through the IRS’s whistleblower award program.
If you have information about government contract fraud, healthcare fraud, customs fraud, or any other form of fraud covered under the False Claims Act (FCA) in addition to information about tax fraud, you may be eligible to come forward under both the FCA and the IRS’s whistleblower program. Our attorneys handle all types of federal whistleblower cases, and we can help you make informed decisions about what to do with the information in your possession.
How does the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 protect IRS whistleblowers?
The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 established the IRS’s Whistleblower Office and enhanced the protections available to federal tax whistleblowers. Under the law, whistleblowers who disclose qualifying information to the IRS’s Whistleblower Office are entitled to both strict confidentiality and protection against retaliation in their employment.
When are IRS whistleblowers eligible to receive monetary awards?
An IRS whistleblower is eligible to receive a monetary award when the IRS completes a successful enforcement action in reliance on the information the whistleblower provided. IRS whistleblowers can also receive monetary awards when the IRS’s Criminal Investigation division (IRS CI) works with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue a successful criminal enforcement action. Both the IRS and DOJ pay awards to eligible whistleblowers in appropriate cases, and we have experience working with government officials at both agencies on behalf of our whistleblower clients.
Do I need to hire an IRS whistleblower attorney to represent me?
As a prospective IRS whistleblower, you are not required to hire an attorney to represent you. You are free to contact the IRS’s Whistleblower Office on your own. With that said, there are several important reasons to consider working with an experienced whistleblower attorney, and we strongly encourage you to contact us for a free and confidential consultation if you are thinking about coming forward.
Contact Oberheiden P.C. | A National IRS Whistleblower Law Firm
Oberheiden P.C. is a national IRS whistleblower law firm that represents employees, former employees, and other individuals throughout the United States. If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys about serving as an IRS whistleblower, we encourage you to contact us for a free and confidential consultation today. To speak with one of our senior attorneys in strict confidence as soon as possible, call 866-320-3959 ortell us how we can contact you online today.