Questions Answered by Radha Rothrock - Justia Legal Answers

• 22 January 2013Q: I had a company forgot to put motor oil back in my car and they refuse to pay for the damages, wat type of lawyer i need
  A: It depends on the amount of your damages. If your damages are a few hundred dollars, the attorney fee will be higher than your damages. In that case, you can try the attorney general's office or the better business bureau. If that route fails, find someone who practices general civil law.
• 22 January 2013Q: Can a non-biological parent claim their child on their tax return
  A: Yes, you don't need to be a biological parent to claim someone as a dependent. Just make sure no one else claimed the child as a dependent on their return. If so, the IRS will come after you for money. The best thing to do is to get a waiver signed from the parents giving up their right to claim the dependent. Keep it in your file in case the parent tries to claim the dependent.
• 22 January 2013Q: How can I find out if my ex has been filing income tax returns? The local cse is no help
  A: The IRS won't give you this information without a power of attorney. If your divorce decree requires you to provide a copy of the return to the other person, you might be able to file some sort of an enforcement action throught the divorce court.
• 22 January 2013Q: What administrative and record keeping procedures must a tax return preparer comply with relative to tax returns prepare
  A: You must be a registered preparer with the IRS. They will give you a ptin number. They have minimum requirements to get the ptin number depending on your educational level.
• 22 January 2013Q: If an inmate is compenstaed for his labor, does he pay tax or file a 1099?
  A: The inmate wouldn't file the 1099. The person paying the inmate would file the 1099. Inmates are subject to the same reporting requirements as other citizens when it comes to tax law.
• 22 January 2013Q: Do i have to keep with me a receipt of tx expense under US$ 20?
  A: The feds can ask for a receipt for any amount. As a practical matter, they usually won't object to it if if it's under $20.
• 22 January 2013Q: If I owe taxes on a property,can I sell the property to the goverment for back taxes and keep whatever is left.?
  A: Do you owe the federal government for IRS taxes or the local government for property taxes? If you owe the feds, they will probably lien the property. They can force you to sell it, but generally do so as a last resort. If you owe the county property taxes, they will sell a tax certificate to the highest bidder. If you don't pay, the bidder will take title to your property. You can also look at filing bankruptcy if you owe taxes. Depending on the amount of taxes owed and the year that you owed, you usually end up paying less on tax debts through the bankruptcy.
• 22 January 2013Q: My wife is a victim of ID theft and now the IRS is trying to extort money that we do not owe , we filed ID theft
  A: If they sent you a notice, you will have to appeal it by a certain deadline depending on what you sent. Consult with a tax attorney as soon as possible. If you miss the deadline to appeal, your remedies will be limited.
• 22 January 2013Q: Need help filing financial heartship
  A: California has state and federal taxes so I would recommend consulting with a tax professional in California rather than Florida.